I have never done it before, although I learnt the theory in capsuleer training. It is simply not something I needed - not for my quest, and not for money as I have more than enough to pursue my quest.
But now the Empress calls for faithful capsuleers to mine raspite. And so, for the first time since capsuleer training, I mined. I got myself a pioneer class ship, and had to fast-track learning mining destroyers for that.
It is very different from the Indagatrix. The ship is cheaper and dirtier. The ore dust goes everywhere, I think I will still find it in my monk's gown and in my living quarters for months to come.
Mr. Firth declined to come along, claiming there is probably nothing I can do wrong while mining in bulwark systems. I wanted to run the pioneer without crew, but there is a mining crew union that insists on taking on crewmembers to help with managing the mining hold.
-to be continued-
