Pirates HAVE had some of my cargo in the past. Without fail they were ones who negotiated in good faith and did not make exorbitant demands or open fire. With a reasonable demand, and without an itchy trigger finger it's often more worth my while even if I'm in my heavily armed 'conda to dump a few cans than pay either the repair bill or the insurance. In the T9 even more likely, because that ones only defense is to run (well, waddle more like) away.
The guy who pulled me over in a sidey wasn't so lucky. I hope it wasn't too cold in that escape pod. He gave me a more difficult fight than I expected though for such a differential between ships, so props to him.
I get a lot less piracy now that I'm flying one of the big ships more often than not, which surprises me a little to be honest. After all, I'm carrying so much more cargo now than I was earlier in the game that enough to make it worth the pirates while makes less of a dent in my profits so I'm more likely to cooperate. Of course, I'm also often packing a lot more firepower but against a wing of combat-fitted pirates I'd still probably go kaboom if I tried to make a fight of it so would probably pay up.
Dave's piracy rules for trading:
1: When interdicted submit. Immediately boost and run out the guns if you got 'em. Get on the comms and transmit my willingness to negotiate and that I will not fire unless fired upon. (If I was interdicted by a psycho not a pirate, doing anything else would be suicide.)
2: If he negotiates, don't boost again, just keep the range open while we talk, but don't try and escape - but don't stow the guns either, not until we have come to an agreement.
3: If he fires, give him one more communication "cease fire and I will negotiate" before returning fire. Sustained incoming fire will be taken as a refusal to negotiate further.
4: Negotiate in good faith, keep my word. Fight in good faith too, if it comes to that. Never combat log.
5: So, we agree on a price. Keep moving while dumping cargo so they make a line in space and then make a radical course change so that he can either scoop 'em OR keep you in his sights but not both.
6: Leave promptly, unless we have some social chat to exchange (happens more often than not)
