Whoops. I was on a mission that used a two-jump route, and didn't realize that the Tsimsang was outside the Pilots' Federation District. I saw a fleet carrier and was intrigued, so I stopped in for a visit -- and promptly lost my access to PFD space.

It's a pity that I missed my chance for that 100k coming-of-age mission, but I'll get over that quickly enough. There seem to be a paucity of missions in the few systems I've visited so far outside the PFD, though. It will take me some time to find my bearings out here. But at least I have a capable ship, and if needed I can have Bi Cycle or Freude delivered to me.

I made the mistake of taking a mining mission for 5 tons of Indite.

I equipped Freude with a mining laser and a lousy one-bin refinery, but I really had no idea how to locate suitable asteroids. I had some luck on my first outing and gathered nearly half a ton fairly quickly. Since then, I have not been able to find an asteroid that gives up Indium more than .02 tons or so at a time.

After spending a couple of hours trying different asteroids, I set that mission aside and went back to doing courier and delivery runs, with a little free trading mixed in. Quickly got enough cash to add yet another member to my family, the Cobra Mk III Schoener. It came with some reasonable kit installed, but we can do better.

I plan to try some combat and some planetary missions, maybe some taxi runs, and then it's time to leave kindergarten and head for the wide open spaces.

I'm not confident that I'll finish the mining mission before that happens ...

After a few more runs between Dromi and Otegine, funds were more than adequate to add a second ship to my fleet: the Adder Freude, with, mercifully, a slightly larger cargo capacity. Its inauguration run was a satisfying trip to Matet, which almost paid for the acquisition.

My sprightly Sidewinder Bi Cycle danced through the permit test. With my Pilot's Federation Permit firmly in hand, I got right to work. On my first new-pilot gimme run from Coelho station to Matet, I was also able to also pick up a courier run to Dimery Prospect, an Encrypted Data Salvage mission in Matet, and filled my measly cargo space with two tons.

Arriving in Matet, I was promptly interdicted, and failed to evade. Lost the cargo. Oh well. At least I managed to evade a later interdiction in the same system. Live and learn.

Took me forever to find the salvage target, mostly because I was chasing USSes all over the system. Roamed around Matet for quite a while.

All in all a good first run.

Followed this up with a dual delivery & courier run to Otegine. Approaching Aldrich Station is tricky. I think the asteroid belt mass forces the ship out of cruise, requiring a extraplanar approach plan. And finding the damn mail slot on that rock is also fun, there must be an optimal approach vector I haven't discovered yet.

Bi Cycle was rewarded for this first day of work with a couple of power systems upgrades.