It finally happened...

I'd made one trip with no incident.  I was watching local and checking each pilot who dropped in.  Yes, I was finally in low sec.  Lasers ripping into some Kernite and planning what to do with the profits.

The scanners were showing an excellent deposit of the stuff and I'd rigged for cargo so could manage a few cycles before hauling back.

There were only three of us in local - one was what I considered to be an ally.  I missed the pilot appearing.  The first I knew they were on my overview, the next I was scrambled and their drones were out. Hmm ok - so I'd been told not to take a Hulk into Low sec and now I was kicking myself that I'd not even bothered fitting a core stabiliser which, right now, may be making the difference between life and death.  Ah well, all part of the rich tapestry which is life I thought.  So, deploy the Hobgob IIs - at best they may distract the pirate and at least not die in the blast without having the chance to fight.  So, off they went to their certain deaths and sure enough five pops later they'd gone.  The Dramiel still there with their drones chipping away now at my armour.

Still trying to spam the warp button it became clear that I was going nowhere at which point I became concerned for my pod.  So, in my newbness I self destructed - thinking that this way it wouldn't be obvious when my pod was appearing and I warped out to a celestial then back to the gate and away - minus one Hulk and fittings.  So, now I knew that what I'd been told was correct.  Take a mining vessel into lowsec and you've a good chance of being attacked.  The sad thing?  It was a thrill.  The pilot was most friendly and didn't rub salt in my stupidity at all, even offering links to PvP guides.  So now I'm saving again.

However, do you believe in fate?  The following day I went back to the same belt and happened upon a player's wreck.  Clearly a victim themselves.  The cargo was nicely full of goodies of which I availed myself and returned to Hi-Sec to sell them - at least making some of my loss back.

In relation to the above I should again point out that E-Uni does NOT condone any form of piracy and any such action is not done on my Uni account.  I'm not going 'bad' just following Helicity Boson's advice to experience something new and make something out of Hulkageddon.  A little bit of something different does us all good :)