Trouble on the Terran plot (spoilers)

[Teladi-Bob]

So, I'm on the Terran plot in X3TC and I'm stuck on the part where you follow the Nova in to the unknown sector and it docks in the pirate base. Now I have to scan the pirate base.... how do I scan that? I have a cargo scanner but there's no option to scan it.

Another weird thing is the pirate base is now hostile to me, it got hostile when the pirate got in it. It shows it as hostile on the map and when I target it, but no red box around it..

Any help appreciated.

<Moving to Universe (gameplay) forum. Alan Phipps>

[Kirlack]

You need to get within a few hundred metres of the base to scan it. It'll happen automatically when you're in range. Watch your back though, once you start scanning some hostile pirates will launch from the base and try to take you out. This is mission generated and can't be avoided. You can fight if you reckon you can take them, or run/jump to the gate and dash back past them to get the scan complete while they try to catch up.

[soulmata]

As Kirlack said you need to get close. I believe it is <=500M to enable your scan. The scan takes a loooong time, too, so unless you're in an M6 or higher you probably can't just sit there and shrug off the damage from the M3-M5 units sent to engage you.

Note that it seems to me the fighters appear well before you approach the station, more close to the time when the Nova docks. And, like many pirate attacks, they don't stick together and have vastly different speeds. If you can outrun them, simply turn tail and run back for a few minutes on SETA and they'll be all haphazard and easy to either engage on your own or simply avoid.

I tend to use that sector for my own building (nice space fuel/space weed area), so the extra spawned pirate base is actually nice - usually shortly after that quest I can find a hacking mission to set it to neutral and start getting missions from it.

[Teladi-Bob]

Many thanks for the info guys.
I have an M6 at the moment so I murdered them without too much trouble.

[Bill Huntington]

Teladi Bob, you missed a profit opportunity !

Those Xenon Ls are not full strength Ls. They bail easy. You can cap them without too much trouble. Not bad for $.5 Mil each. If you DON'T follow the Nova the mission will repeat .... will repeat ... will repeat. So you can cap as many as you want. Some might have 25MJ shields and some might have PBEs.

Good Hunting !