I try not to engage in local conversations. Becoming a rockstar is not good for business. After all, I have to keep an image of a helpless and poor salvager .
Checking in on miners
When I start my ninja salvaging activities I often start with miners. One might think what do miners have to do with ninja salvaging? Well, I scan them out and take a quick look if they are mining to the can. Usually they mine their cargohold full and warp to station to dump the ore, however there are times when they mine to a jettisoned can. Should I spot such miner, I always bring my Miasmos to collect excessive ore.
Once loot is collected I stick around. I try to see if miners will get upset about their ore taken and will take action. I also do some bumping. MWD Miasmos turns out to be quite a bumper. So far I was not able to get any aggro. Sometimes I do get my hopes up:
An honest carebear
Continuing my salvage operations I encounter Arioch Blackwing in his Megathron Navy Issue. Arioch did not like me salvaging and looting his wrecks so he opened fire.
Glorious fight ensured which was not going in favor to Megathron. Once shields were down I get a convo request. That's quite unusual. Normally, I am the one who is the initiator.
Arioch Blackwing > hi let me please
Zosius > so
Zosius > you shot me and now want me to let you go
Arioch Blackwing > i give you 40 millions
Arioch Blackwing didn't waste any time. He asked to let him go. Generous as ever he also offered a 40mil ransom. For Megathron Navy Issue, that has market value above 470mil. It's like getting stopped for speeding and to avoid ticket you offer police less than 10% value of the fine's worth bribe. I believe police would feel insulted and disrespected as was I. Though I give a benefit of a doubt. Perhaps he mistyped and missed one zero at the end. I try to clear it up.
Zosius > 400mil
Arioch Blackwing > no
I guess he didn't mistype the price after all. I have hard time understanding reasons for such low ransom offer. Perhaps if I provided some information on why my price should look more than fair, he will change his mind.
Zosius > your ship is worth 470mil on the market
Zosius > 400mil
Zosius > so how about it
Zosius > you got half armor to think about it
Arioch Blackwing > 400 mil ok
Zosius > splendid
Reason prevails. After providing nothing but facts, Arioch Blackwing agrees to pay asking, lower than market, price. Unfortunately after waiting for half a minute, I do not see my wallet flash.
Zosius > i don't see my isk
Arioch Blackwing > let me warp and i swear i give you the money
If he 'swears' then I guess I can trust him. It's like any other normal situation right? Pirate holds someone hostage and asks for a ransom. Hostage tells him, that he will give up the money once he is free and safe with the police inside station. I guess pirate would let him go and get rewarded. Right? Not very likely. What would happen is that hostage would get shot and pirate would take what he could. Last time I checked, one with a gun is who is in charge.
Zosius > i am dictating the terms
Arioch Blackwing > i ll give you and you ll continue to shoot me
Zosius > no, i will let you go
Zosius > or you will die if i don't get my 400mil
Zosius > think fast
As seeing we can't come to an agreement I offer a discount. 50% now and 50% later.
Zosius > ok send me 200mil
Zosius > now
Zosius > and 200mil later
Zosius > i stopped shooting
Zosius > you got 10 seconds
Arioch Blackwing > nono destroy me u win ur day
Zosius > do not rep
Zosius > just send me 200mil
Zosius > and you are free
Even offering better discount rates than you get on Christmas sales, Arioch Blackwing was still not interested in paying up. He asked to destroy his ship instead. He left no choice for me but to comply. As soon as I enter structure strange thing happens. Carebear ejects from the ship and warps out.
I will take free ship any time. There is only one problem though. I can't board while ship is being targeted. That would not be a big deal, except there are still 4 NPC present. 2 of them are battleships 60km out. With only 5 minute window, of which I used 2 minutes already thinking, I have to kill all NPC and board the ship since empty ship does not extend engagement timer. Should I fail, the guy could just come back and board his ship even when it is targeted and I could not do anything about it. As sad as it was I decided to finish it off.
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