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ship will give you that list: make sure 1. It allows you to scan every ship be-
you know how to do this. Check it for tween the star and your destination
any known troublemakers. There are system. Now you know who is flying
certain commanders who are no- what ship, so you can check ships
torious, and it will be helpful to you for ‘wanted’ status (a sure sign of a
to know who these people are, and ganker), and you can check if ships
whether you’re sharing supercruise have an FSD interdictor (another
with them. You don’t need to scan warning sign). Prioritise scanning
any ships to get this list. suspicious ship types like Fer-de-
Lances or any other combat vessel.
Step 3.
Don’t fly in a straight line 2. It means any ship in the shipping
lane would have to come out of the
We covered this in Issue 24’s article shipping lane and get behind you to
‘When a straight line isn’t shortest’, interdict you. Most gankers won’t
so the point won’t be laboured here. bother given easier targets, and if
However, some further refine- they do, it makes it easier to see on
ments to the ideas raised in this your scanner.
article should be introduced at
this point. If you see a suspicious ship head-
ing your way, consider dropping out
Start out by flying in the opposite of supercruise altogether to prevent
direction, away from your destina- the possible interdiction from ever
tion. Keep close to the star until the happening. You’ll need to judge how
star is directly between you and the long to remain in normal space, as
destination station (and therefore if the suspicious ship is coming for
the shipping lane, and probably most you, no doubt they will try to drop in
of the gankers) then fly directly away on your low wake. You want to time
from the star, with the station also your exit to be happening just about
directly behind you. Do this until you this time. Keep a careful eye out and
are past the orbit line for the planet don’t let the ship you saw ever get
the destination station belongs behind you.
to. You may even want to go
as far as the orbit line Step 4.
for the next planet Know your escape route
out, then start
following this Despite the best precautions, at
orbit line. some point, you are going to be inter-
dicted — so you need a plan for when
As our previous article explains, this happens.
this won’t be that costly in time, as
Just because you — away from any planetary or stel- The first and most paramount direc-
once evaded the lar bodies — your supercruise speed tive is never to try to evade an interdic-
police does not will be very high. Any ganker will now tion if it is a Pilots’ Federation member
interdicting you. If you see a hollow
have to detach themselves from the
mean you can shipping lane, and it will be more square on the scanner as the hostile
evade a ganker’s obvious on your scanner if they are that’s interdicting you, immediately
coming for you. The orbit line for the
throttle to zero and submit. Firstly,
interdiction. next planet out will also take you on gankers spend all day interdicting peo-
a curving trajectory, which will mean ple. They know how to win an interdic-
you’ll end up approaching your des- tion and have plenty of practice at it.
tination station from behind, and in Secondly, gankers have engineered
the last third or so of your journey, as FSD interdictors, far better than any
you begin to spiral in towards your system security ship. Just because
destination, you will be facing the you once evaded the police does not
shipping lane and any ships there. mean you can evade a ganker’s inter-
This does a couple of useful things: diction. If you don’t submit, you will
be forcefully wrenched out of super-
cruise, and you will have to wait a long

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