Pinned Smuggler

Pinned Smuggler is a Card Game Story Vignette that can found by drawing it's card when Blockading or Patrolling over a zone with a Trade Blockade Planet Rumor. The card is "Rare," so systems with greater positive rare card percentages are more likely generate this vignette. If there is 0% rare chance, the card will not appear at all. It can appear at any time after 217.00 AE that such a Rumor is active. It may involve ship combat.

Synopsis
A smuggler's worst nightmare is a Trade Blockade. It's even worse when it's over his or her home planet. For some reason though, this smuggler thinks you're more likely to help him than to turn him in. Is he right? That mostly depends on what you need most at the moment and whether you're willing to poke the quadrant owning faction in the eye to make a new friend.

Walkthrough
 Reveal/Hide SPOILERS
 * On drawing it's card. An officer will tell you that a smuggler ship is approaching yours and trying to open communication channels with you.
 * The smuggler, Corthu, will tell you his dilemma of being pursued by naval ships and unable to get through the blockade to his home planet below.
 * He will tell you that you'll need to fight off two naval vessels and in exchange he'll tell you of his stash of 40 ore extractors on a nearby world.
 * You will also be told that if he is able to land he will become a smuggler contact in the zone.
 * You will then have to choose between turning him in, doing nothing, fighting for the ore extractors or asking him for credits instead.
 * If you take the navy's side and turn the smuggler over, you will gain a Rep bonus with the blockading faction and 10,000 credits.
 * If you choose to help the smuggler you will face back-to-back ship combat with naval vessels of the blockading faction.
 * Successfully defeating them will cause Smuggler Corthu to become a smuggler contact with ±40 personal rep in the zone and reveal a stash with ±40 ore extractors in the local quadrant.
 * If you choose cash instead of the Extractors, Corthu will offer you an immediate 35,000. You will still face the navy ships in combat and he will still become a contact on the planet.