All for Nothing

I've been trying to get my standings up with a particular corporation. Perhaps it was my hiatus away from EVE... or maybe I said something wrong.. but all the sudden my agent was giving me missions into low-sec.

I vowed a long time ago never to enter that pirate infested lawless place called low-sec. But my agent persisted...

First he wanted me to deliver some sort of classified top secret containers to some station I've never heard of. He told me I would be making jumps through two low-sec systems. I asked him what was inside and why I should risk my rear going through low-sec. He wouldn't tell me, he just kept iterating that they were critical and time sensitive. The containers were locked up with some sort of advanced security, so I couldn't peek. So I told him no thanks, low-sec is no place for a care bear such as myself.

Next he told me some transports in low-sec were being attacked by pirates and needed help immediately. Huh? I told him this is exactly the reason I would not travel to low-sec! Outlaws live there... and nasty things happen to unsuspecting innocents... And now, since I declined to take your top secret crap to some god forsaken station on the other side of low-sec, I need to go bail out whoever you sent in my stead?

I walked away rather frustrated and mad. After cooling off and taking some time away I returned to him about 4 hours later. I said no way, but I will gladly accept a different mission.

He told me he had these top secret containers that needed to get to some station I've never heard of on the other side of low-sec. Unbelievable this guy! We had apparently reached an impasse, he needed something delivered and I was unwilling to risk my hide for him. Fine, whatever... no guts no glory... I grabbed a few large shield extenders and some stabs and off I went...

Before I knew it I was on the high-sec side of a jump gate into low-sec. Upon downloading instructions to initiate the jump, a gigantic warning popped up on my system: You are about to enter low-sec, there is no CONCORD protection here. You may lose your ship. Sigh... proceed... I knew full well I'd probably be jumping into a gate camp or something.

My systems came back online shortly after and there was nothing. In fact there were only 4 people in the system! I continued my journey... there were only 5 people in the next system. As I was warping I checked out the other people in local, they did not look like law abiding citizens. But I made it! And I was still alive!

My return trip was pretty much the same... the jump gates were barren and only a handful of people in local. The mission was a success and I made it back to my home in one piece. In fact, a few missions later, my agent asked to make a return trip (they must have been pleased by my first mission's success). And that mission was a success as well.

The fear I have of low-sec is apparently unwarranted. Certainly I would not go ratting there... But for a simple jaunt from gate to gate? Sure!