A chance encounter yields a juicy proposition. Are you 'morally-flexible' enough to take advantage?
Level: 13
Start: Adda Core, Docks, The Maid of Orléans
Introduction
You find yourself alone in the soft-lit, back corridors of La Rochelle Docks. Unpainted, industrial, and with a tight hexagonal profile, these walkways are more used to the steady whir of automated logistics belts than any human presence. And yet, rounding a corner, you're jolted from your solitude by two figures: an odd-looking woman, absorbed by the pretty leaves of an air scrubber plant, and a Gaule soldier approaching from the far end, carrying a large and intricate piece of machinery in his hands. He walks obliviously towards the woman, as if unsighted by his load. A messy collision seems imminent!
You have accepted the "Honor Among Thieves" mission.
- Keep quiet. Some mischievous part of you wants to see what happens.
- "Watch out!"
Watch out:
Me: Watch out!! There's someone-
You shout, but it's too late. The scene before you unfolds as if in slow-motion. Belatedly, the teetering soldier looks up, registers the woman's presence, and then clatters into her anyway! The boxy component slips from his hands and onto the floor, where it smashes in a small supernova of flying bolts, circuits and cracked glass tubes! Assuming she's under some sort of attack, the woman emits a startled scream.
Keep quiet:
The scene before you unfolds as if in slow-motion. You watch the soldier clumsily clatter into the distracted woman! The boxy component slips from his hands and onto the floor, where it smashes in a small supernova of flying bolts, circuits and cracked glass tubes! Assuming she's under some sort of attack, the woman emits a startled scream.
Either choice continues:
Woman: WAAARGH!!!
The scattering fragments come to a standstill on the floor, and her cry then gives way to hyperventilating. The soldier, momentarily paralyzed, now springs at her accusingly.
Soldier: You klutz!! That thing was worth thousands. You'll pay for this!
The startled woman's mouth gapes as she absorbs the accusation.
Woman: ME?!! Avast ye shouting, ye cheeky hornswoggle. Was ye that bumped me!!
- Walk away. Their squabbles are of no concern to you.
- Watch the argument from a safe distance.
- Intervene to calm the argument.
Walk away:
As the volume of their shouting increases, you quickly spin on your heels and head off in the opposite direction. You don't want to get dragged further into this as the only witness to the incident. After a few moments, the noise of the screaming-match subsides beneath the ever-present hum of La Rochelle's many logistics belts, running in their own dedicated tunnels alongside the eerily quiet corridors.
You have failed the "Honor Among Thieves" mission. You can retake this mission and try again.
Intervene:
You step forward, softly urging calm. But despite your best efforts, the corridor soon becomes a cacophonous chamber of swearing and acrimony.
Watch:
The argument quickly escalates into a high-pitched shouting match; the corridor suddenly a cacophonous chamber of swearing and acrimony.
Either choice continues:
Soldier: Pay up, you dungbie!! That was valuable Gaule military hardware!
The woman shakes her head vehemently, flashing teeth as she speaks.
Woman: Are you trying to hustle me, eh? Filthy hornswoggler, I'll report ye!
The soldier draws breath for a retort but then thinks better of it. Instead, he reaches for your arm and pulls you closer.
Soldier: Well, let's call a witness, shall we?! Say, er- gentle stranger, you saw the matter unfold. Who's to blame?
- Accuse the soldier of being clumsy.
- Avoid taking sides.
- Accuse the woman of being inattentive.
Accuse soldier:
Me: It sorta looked like you walked into her actually-
Your inflammatory response is like fuel on a fire. The shouting erupts again.
She shouts: You know what I'll give you? Zilch! Nada! Maybe even a kick up the b-
Avoid taking sides:
Me: Looked like a genuine accident to me-
But your diplomatic response falls on deaf ears; the shouting erupts again.
Woman: You know what I'll give you? Zilch! Nada! Maybe even a kick up the b-
Accuse woman:
Me: This IS a busy docks facility, not a botany exhibition. You were pretty engrossed by those air scrubbers…
Your inflammatory response is like fuel on a fire. The shouting erupts again.
Woman: So what?! Doesn't make it my fault. You know what I'll give him? Zilch! Nada! Maybe even a kick up the b-
Either choice continues:
But she's cut off by a sudden shove, sending her sprawling. The soldier leaps onto her, snatches something from her shoulder, then charges off down the corridor!
Woman: My satchel! He took it!
- Check she's OK.
- Chase after him!
Check:
You check she's unhurt but your attentions seem unwelcome.
She says: Gerroff me, you ninny! I'm fine… If you wanna help, get my bleedin' satchel back!
You glance down the corridor at the soldier's retreating form. He looks back over his shoulder every few paces.
- Let him go. This strange spat is none of your concern.
- Chase after him!
Chase:
(Agility check)
Your breath is ragged as your boot soles clang against the metal walkways of La Rochelle's mazy corridors. But your agile movements gradually close the gap. You're only a dozen meters off him when he ducks through an open side panel, into what looks like a disused logistics corridor. You dive in after him, somewhat puzzled by his curious cries.
Soldier: Catch me if you can! HA!
The logistics tunnel is a dark and dusty passage through exposed rock, built for travelling boxes rather than humans. Now it's an obstacle course of hazardous junk. You follow the goading voice ahead of you, through a narrow slit between two heavy crates. Why is he taunting you like this? Distracted by it, you lose focus and find yourself wedged between the bulky boxes, unable to move!
- Force the crate aside to free yourself.
(Strength check)
With an almighty roar, you shove the crate hard enough to wriggle free! Continuing down the tunnel, you crouch under the low ceiling and squint into the debris-strewn darkness ahead, from which a sudden whistle is now audible.
Soldier's voice: Heads up!
The bizarre shout puzzles you, until you realize something is parting the air ahead at great speed!
- Duck!
(Agility check)
You drop swiftly to your knees as a crate-winch, hanging from a ceiling mounted rail, wooshes past, narrowly missing your head! Then a malfunctioning strip-light momentarily illuminates the dank tunnel ahead. Your target is trapped by a dead end!
Next NPC: Charles Attan, Docks, The Maid of Orléans
- Confront Charles!
You weave past a battered crate trolley and finally face what must be the least competent and honorable Gaule soldier this universe has ever seen. He holds the woman's satchel out teasingly, as if willing you to grab it off him.
Soldier: Want this don'tcha? Well come and get it, ya bilge sniffer!
- Demand the satchel.
- Wrestle the satchel off him.
Demand:
Me: Give it back, you scoundrel!
But the man does no such thing. Instead he raises it aloft and jiggles it invitingly, before giving you a swift and solid kick to the leg! He's far from sprightly, but that hurts.
Soldier: You'll hafta fight me for it! Where's yer mettle, eh?
He talks like no Gaule soldier you've ever met before. You ponder whether a stranger's satchel is worth getting hurt for. Then again, he doesn't look like the toughest opponent.
- Turn and flee.
- Wrestle the satchel off him.
Wrestle:
(Strength check)
In the dark tunnel you swipe at the squirming soldier, who cackles like a child enjoying a game of chase. Finally, after a brief tussle, you have him pinned beneath you and can grab the satchel from him. Surprisingly, he seems as pleased about the result as you are. You sit on his chest with his arms pinned under your knees, as he continues to emit absurdities from his mouth.
He splutters: Top of the class, that was! Whaddya think?
The bizarre question catches you off guard until you realize he's talking to someone else. Low down, through a vent grill on the tunnel wall, a spectator's beady eyes are visible!
A female voice says: Finally we agree on summink, Spud- sorry, I mean, er- Charles… This one's a keeper!
The voice sounds familiar; it's the elderly victim of the mugging! The vent cover pops off, and her clumsy figure clambers into the tight, darkened space. All three of you are now squashed into a gap no bigger than a standard-class storage crate; you sitting on 'Charles' and Adda wedged in alongside.
- Demand an explanation for this odd episode.
- Return the satchel.
- Look inside the satchel.
Look:
You unzip the satchel which got you into this strange mess, only to discover that it contains nothing but foam blocks, presumably just to make it look full.
Me: What tha— ?!
This is some sort of bizarre hoax! What are these two playing at? You stare incredulously at them, but they seem distracted by their own private mutterings, cupping their hands over their mouths as if conducting some sort of secret meeting!
- Demand an explanation for this odd episode.
- Return the satchel.
Return:
Neither of them seem particularly interested in the baggy satchel you hold in your hands. You extend your arm, offering it to the bedraggled woman, but it's clear she has no interest in it whatsoever.
- Demand an explanation for this odd episode.
You demand to know what's going on, but Charles and the woman are now engrossed in some sort of evaluation.
She says: Was double-quick following ye through that rat tunnel, Charles! Much better than the last one… Coupla hundred units, start to finish!
The contorted face between your knees nods approvingly.
Charles says: That IS fast! And no qualms about the old rough-n-tumble, Adda. Pinned me in no time; didn't seem bothered by the uniform either… Fast, good fighter, no fear… Jackpot!
It's starting to look like you've been ensnared in some sort of duplicitous test.
- "You staged this whole thing?"
Me: You staged this whole thing?
Charles says: Oh it was just a lil' piece of improv, think of it as role play! A simple melon drop, followed by an inverse good Samaritan. You did very well with it all!
Adda and Charles, last seen screaming blood-curdling abuse into each other's faces, now smile proudly in tandem. It starts to dawn on you that the valuable 'melon' which kicked this all off was probably a pile of worthless junk. You wonder why they bothered. Before you can ask, Adda interjects.
Adda says: Point is, you got the job, stranger. Beat all the others, hands down! Whaddya say to a big fat payday with Charles and Adda?
These ruffians are trying to recruit you for some sort of shady activity. You contemplate making your excuses and leaving. On the other hand, maybe the info would be of interest to Security? Or maybe, you might just be interested in their indecent proposal? There's no harm in asking a few questions…
- "Who are you people?"
- "I'm guessing this job isn't 100% legit?"
- This sounds like a dodgy proposition. Walk away from it.
- "Payday? That sounds interesting…"
Not legit:
Me: I'm guessing this job isn't 100% legit, right?
Adda gasps dramatically, taking mock offence.
She says: How DARE you?! We're upstanding citizens- haha! I can't even-
She emits a giddy chuckle, slapping your shoulder in amusement at her own joke.
Charles butts in: Look, the job is somewhat bent, granted; at least according to this 'ere station. Theft, they'd call it, with their archaic property laws… But it's a GOOD theft, my dear pal! Robin Hood stuff, 'xept instead of giving to the poor, we keep it all! And we need you to complete our little trio!
Charles holds his breath in anticipation of a 'Yes.' Adda gives you another gentle pat on the shoulder.
- "Who are you people?"
- "Why do you need me?"
- "Payday? That sounds interesting…"
- This sounds like a dodgy proposition. Walk away from it.
Who:
Me: Who ARE you?! I'm guessing you're not really a Gaule soldier?
Charles and Adda, who must have a combined age of well over 300 cycles, snigger like naughty kids.
Charles says: You guessed it. We're just here for a job. Back home they call me Spud Bazooka, and dis 'ere madam is Trouser Press… But on the Maid, we've gone undercover. Got some aliases… aliali? Al- Whatever! We're in disguise and that's all you need to know, friend.
Adda and Charles look at you expectantly, clearly hopeful of a positive response to their offer.
- "Why do you need me?"
- This sounds like a dodgy proposition. Walk away from it.
- "Payday? That sounds interesting…"
Why:
Me: Why do you need me?
Charles coughs awkwardly, as if to suggest that maybe, at this point, you could consider getting off his chest. You oblige, enabling him to replenish the air in his lungs, before answering your question.
Charles says: Well, I'm no spring-chicken. Neither's Adda, and the job has its challenges… We had a third musketeer but he's got cold feet, hence the late-notice recruitment… Which you passed with flying colors!
- "Payday? That sounds interesting…"
- Convince them to tell you more about the third member of their gang.
Convince:
(Social check)
You pester Charles and Adda with questions about their absent colleague. Eventually, their impatience gets the better of them and they finally answer.
Adda says: Name's Shaft Booyah. He's a wrong-un, I tell ya… Comes all this way and then gets cold feet, right at the last. But you don't need to worry bout him, he's gone now.
- "Payday? That sounds interesting…"
Me: You mentioned a er- … payday?
Your ears pricked when Charles had said the word earlier, and he didn't fail to notice.
He says: Payday indeed, my friend. We're talking a bumper haul of Gaule military stims, the real good stuff! We'll split it three-ways, you, me, and our lovely Adda here.
Charles flashes you a twitchy grin, not unlike that of someone whose body is riding out the side-effects of excessive stim usage. Probably how he outpaced you for so long in the tunnel.
- Convince Charles and Adda to tell you where they're from.
- "Where exactly are these stims?"
Convince:
(Social check)
Me: If you want me to trust you, you gotta tell me more. Where are you from?
Charles: OK, OK- Look we're from a place… that's not a Gaule or Consortium kinda place… A FREE-thinking sorta place, ya get me? Kinda piratey…
Adda loses patience with Charles's rambling and interjects.
She says: Caen. We're from Caen, OK? Now, is it stim o'clock or what?
- "Where exactly are these stims?"
You ask Charles and Adda for more info about the location of the stims. They seem pleased you're showing an interest.
Charles says: Here's the clever bit. The're in a high-security storage locker, behind a door we ain't even gonna open… We'll just drill in from the other side, y'see! Got some old schematics for the Amethyst; found a sweet spot in the Ruins wall where it's only a few meters of granite between us and all dem goodies!
Charles has a proud glint in his eye as Adda jumps in to explain more.
Adda says: You and Charles do the drillin, grab the stims, then get yerselves back to the docks where we got a private ship waiting. I'll fly me and Charles away. You do as ye please. Easy as ye like!
You pause to consider it. You could agree to it, but then pass the info to Security? But military stims are useful, and valuable; you can't deny that some part of you is tempted by their proposal.
- "OK. Count me in." You can decide about involving Security later.
- "Sorry. I'm not interested." You can decide about involving Security later.
Count me in:
Charles and Adda are delighted by your decision.
Charles says: Right, no time to waste! Adda, go back to the ship and prep our getaway. I'll go pick up the rock-borer machine. <name>, meet me at the Ruins!
Before you can ask any further questions, the pair scamper off in opposite directions. As you sit alone in the darkened service tunnel, you consider your options. Is the promise of bounty really strong enough to turn you into a thief? If you go to Security now, what exactly will you tell them? Do you have any evidence? Maybe you could initiate the heist and then report Charles and Adda, catching them red-handed? Or maybe, you want all those valuable stims for yourself? The questions swirl in your mind.
You have two options. You can either meet Charles in the Ruins to carry out the heist and maybe involve Security later, or you can go to Security to report the thieves' plans right now.
Next NPC: Aline Lucas, Security, The Maid of Orléans
- Report Charles & Adda's plans to Aline Lucas.
OR
Next NPC: Charles Attan, Ruins, The Maid of Orléans
- Rendezvous with Charles.
Ruins:
You find Charles in the Ruins, standing next to a large and clunky-looking rock boring machine, mounted on some sort of wheeled-trolley. It's not subtle. Or inconspicuous. Charles delegates the pushing of it to yourself with a jerk of the head and then marches off towards the back regions of the Blocks. You wrap your hands around the trolley handle and start pushing. It rattles like a rusty bucket pulling 12 Gs through a wormhole.
Charles whispers: Where's yer finesse?! Gently does it!
You nod vehemently and proceed again, this time taking care to avoid crumbled rock and scattered metal rivets which litter the floor in this part of the Ruins. But luck is not on your side. A Gaule soldier emerges from the next alley and approaches you! He eyes Charles's odd uniform suspiciously.
The soldier says: Salut. Didn't realize we had rock clearance on the schedule for today?
You glance at Charles hoping he has a plan for this. Judging by the devious look in his eyes, you suspect plan A is for you to clobber the soldier round the head.
- Hit the soldier round the head.
- Turn and flee!
- Bluff the soldier. Convince him everything is normal.
Hit:
(Agility check)
After a few moments' hesitation the chance finally presents itself! As the soldier stoops to examine your cumbersome machine; you lunge and clatter his head against the metallic side panel! Charles emits a disturbing yelp of delight as the soldier goes down, then grabs the unconscious man's ankles and drags him into an unlit alley between two derelict buildings.
Charles says: That was FAB-MAZING!!! Take that Monsieur busy-body! Haha… This is fun!
A small voice at the back of your head asks a question you can't quite answer yet: how stable really is your partner-in-crime? You're not quite sure. Either way, you and Charles are alone again and have only to work out exactly which section of the wall you need before you can start drilling.
Bluff:
(Social check)
With the composure of a seasoned liar, you smoothly rattle off a convincing response which satisfies the soldier.
Me: You didn't get the bulletin? Bloody Pierre! I'll demote that incompetent fool for this… So, yeah, rock maintenance planned for today. I suggest you keep a safe distance.
Charles adds: Tsk. Pierre is très terrible at his job. Idiot!
Charles, completely unnecessarily, underlines your point. You wonder how stable your partner really is. The soldier gives you one final stare, than tips his cap and continues on his way. You calm your breathing and try to find the exact piece of Ruins wall you're after.
Either choice continues:
- Study Charles's schematics. Find the wall section you need.
(Intelligence check)
After some head-scratching, you eventually trace a route through the Ruins to a still-abandoned street with a dead-end of sheer granite at one end. You wheel the rock-borer into place and fix its stability clamps into the floor, before starting its rotating mechanism. A scary vortex of spinning toothed-discs jumps to life.
Charles yelps: Rock and roll, BABY!
He's hopping with excitement as you tap the machine's controls. The teeth push forward into the rock, unleashing a cloud of dust, accompanied by a deep and unnervingly loud noise.
- Drill slow and steady.
- Drill hard and fast.
Slow and steady:
You dial down the motor speed and the grinding screech coming from the rock face reduces to a low, steady hum. Bit by bit, the solid wall is dissolved before your very eyes, falling to the floor in fist-sized pieces which are then swept away to the side by a relentless clearing-arm. It takes a while, but you reach the halfway point without problems. That's where the good news stops. Suddenly, standing behind you in the otherwise deserted street, is a haunted-looking ruins rat, staring at the rock-borer with a wild-eyed curiosity.
Charles: Shoo! Shoo outta here!
But the small woman says nothing, staring vaguely into the distance. She's clearly a few cells short of a full battery, and seems more of an inconvenience than a threat. You wonder how to get rid of her.
- Give her 10 credits to leave.
- Persuade her to leave.
Give her 10 credits:
You approach the accidental witness and gently suggest she goes for delicious hot broth in the market, at your expense.
Me: There you go, might even have some change left over for a fungal-éclair after. Yum!
You have given 10.00 credits.
Her absent stare barely flickers as you press the credit chit into her hand, then slowly rotate her shoulders and point her in the direction of the market. She wanders off as silently as she came.
Persuade:
(Social check)
After a few moments, you hit on a strategy that seems to work, loudly pretending to address Charles.
Me: Drat! Curse our fortunes, stuck here on drill duty when there's a cache of virgin copper cables just waiting to be plucked from sector 17D! We never catch a lucky break…
Over your shoulder, you notice her absent stare flicker slightly and then she turns to wander off, as silently as she came.
Either choice continues:
Charles says: Smooth work, <name>! I was starting to think we'd hafta y'know-
Charles makes a fist, then laughs as you get back to business. The borer applies its teeth to the granite wall once more, making light work of the rock's ancient formation. Squinting into the dust, you're pretty sure you can now see a gap into the stim store beyond. Excitedly, you lean in further for a better look, but right into the line of a sudden rock fall!
- Dodge it!
(Agility check)
A few large chunks of black rock tumble from above but you manage to pull yourself away at the last, watching as they crash down onto your rock borer instead. The machine splutters to a clanging halt as something seizes up inside it. It looks completely broken!
Charles says: Bah, mall-spit!
But, on closer inspection, you realize there's already enough of an opening into the small stim store that you can clamber through without drilling the remaining rock.
- Climb through the hole and retrieve the stims.
As the dust settles, you squeeze through the small opening into a temp-controlled storage room. Neatly-ordered boxes of military-grade stims wait on the shelving to your right. You start passing them back through the hole to Charles, who stacks them onto the now vacant trolley.
Charles says: Oh yeah, come to papa!
Charles talks to himself giddily as you work, and before long you have most of the store emptied. But as you gather up the last few boxes, you get the strange sensation that something is off. Charles has gone suddenly quiet! Has he betrayed you? Sudden anxiety grips and you mumble under your breath as you clamber back out of the hole to see what's happening.
Me: Where are you, Charles? You filthy—
Relief hits as you spot the fully-loaded trolley still in place, but there's no sign of Charles. Then, to the side, you notice him lying unconscious on the floor. Looks like the side effects of all that stim usage have finally caught up with him!
- Revive Charles. Escape together with the stims.
- Abandon Charles. Escape alone with the stims.
Revive:
You slap Charles around the face a little, secretly enjoying it more than you should, until he comes to his senses. It takes him a unit or two to remember what's happening, but once he does, he seems genuinely grateful for your intervention. You set off with the laden trolley and head for the Docks to rendezvous with Adda.
Go to the Docks to meet Adda.
Next area: Docks, The Maid of Orléans
- Search for Adda.
You seek out the docking bay for Adda and Charles's ship, but there's no sign of Adda. Something isn't right and Charles knows it. His voice is jittery.
Charles stammers: This ain't good…
Suddenly his face freezes on catching sight of something over your shoulder. You spin to see Adda in an unconscious heap on the floor, and a burly man next to her screaming back at you.
The man shouts: MIIIIINE!!!
He grunts out the syllable while pointing at the stim trolley. You're beginning to suspect that this may be the third member of Charles and Adda's original party. Definitely more brawn than brains, and that's what's worrying you right now. This is clearly not a man susceptible to verbal charms; he looks like he dreams blood and violence every night and wakes up all the fresher for it. He lurches towards you, picking up speed! To your left, Charles collapses to the floor once again!
Next NPC: Shaft Booyah, Docks, The Maid of Orléans
- Run away!
- Fight him off!
Fight:
(Agility check)
Shaft charges; a colossus of momentum and brute force. But he's not exactly Mr. Agile. You exploit his weakness by luring him towards you, and then ducking at the last and sweeping a leg across his path. The heavy lump of a man goes crashing into a parked fork-loader behind, knocking some of the stim packs off your trolley as he goes! They smash to bits on the ground.
Shaft cries: GNNAARGH!
You've dealt a significant blow. Shaft rises to his feet, somewhat less assured than before, preparing for another charge.
- Fight him off again!
(Strength check)
This time Shaft's line is a bit better. He hits you so hard you think feel like you're breathing vacuum. Then he's on top of you; his meaty hands wrapping around your neck! You fumble for a wrench sticking out of a tool station behind, then crush it as hard as you can into the side of his skull!
Shaft cries: GNUUUURRRRR--- GnU-- G--
His mountainous form takes a wobble, then collapses onto the floor beside you, writhing in silent, slow-motion agony. You're finally alone with your plunder! What's next?
- Go to Security and confess everything.
- Try to rouse Charles. Don't leave him here.
- Leave now, keeping all of the stims for yourself.
Rouse Charles:
Some warped sense of loyalty to Charles prompts you to check on him. He's breathing, but clearly crashing hard as his body drowns in the toxins of a stim comedown. In his stupor, he hums a simple song, comprised entirely of his own name.
Charles says: Charlatan Charles Attan—
You shake him but to no avail. He's rambling, groggy and completely out of it. Will you leave him here to his fate?
- Leave now, keeping all of the stims for yourself.
- Check on Adda instead. Try to revive her.
- Go to Security and confess everything.
Check on Adda:
The longer you stay here the riskier it gets. And yet, some part of you doesn't want to see Charles and Adda left to the mercy of Gaule Security. You rush over to Adda and give her crumpled torso a vigorous shake. She comes to her senses almost immediately, then emits a startled shriek at the sight of Shaft's twitching body, only meters away.
Adda says: Shaft! That man has no honor, I tell ya— Always after things he ain't got a right to! You done well, <name>… Oh SPUD!
Suddenly catching sight of Charles, she shuffles over to him and produces some sort of vial from pocket, which she holds under his nose briefly.
She coos: Oh spud, my love— Wakey wakey!
Charles slowly comes to his senses and you start feeling like you've already enjoyed more than your fair share of luck with station Security. It's time to get out of here.
- Share the stims and part company with Charles and Adda.
Quickly, you help Adda lift Charles onto the stim trolley whilst dividing up your bounty. Most of the precious tubes were damaged in the fight with Shaft, but a few remain intact. It wasn't the slickest of operations and the rewards aren't as spectacular as you'd hoped, but it's clear that Adda is still satisfied with the outcome.
Adda says: Right, time to wheel this ole codger back to our ship! Leave Shaft; the plods can 'ave him…
The stout, slightly wild-eyed woman gives you an affectionate pat on the shoulder.
She says: Honor's in short supply these days, but you're different, <name>. I'll make sure folks on Caen know it… Bye!
With that, she trundles off down the service alleys of the Docks, presumably taking the quiet route back to their private ship. You're left holding a small pack of hard-earned stims, wondering if you've really done anything wrong? The Gaule protectorate can spare them, and - in many ways - it's a victimless crime. Sort of. Maybe. Well, who cares? You walk away from the chaotic scene, leaving Shaft to his fate. Today at least, the thief's life has been kinder to you than it was to him.
You have received 6 'Minor Military Stim, v2.1.031'.
You have completed the "Honor Among Thieves" mission.
OR
Security:
You decide it'd be wise to hand all of this over to the authorities. Maybe it's the worry of being caught, or maybe you feel it's the right thing to do. Maybe the fact some of your bounty was broken in the fight with Shaft swung your decision?
Go to Security to hand over the stolen stims and report everything.
Next NPC: Aline Lucas, Security, The Maid of Orléans
- Hand in the stolen stims.
Aline's eyes widen when you enter pushing a trolley of military stims. Her eyes get progressively bigger, and her jaw progressively lower, as you recount the story of how they've come to be here. You rattle off a weird tale about wrestling a fake Gaule soldier in an abandoned tunnel and a pink-haired woman called Adda Core, who has a satchel full of foam. It sounds demented, but you know that the very real holes in the stim store walls will be taken very seriously indeed.
Aline says: Ahem- right, OK. I think I should call the shift-commander in for this…
She returns with a superior and, after answering a grueling series of of questions, they're finally satisfied of your innocence. The shift commander is both embarrassed about falling prey to such a ramshackle theft, and delighted that your conscience compelled you to report it. You receive a handsome reward for your somewhat unorthodox services to law enforcement. Is this what you had planned all along or was it a last-moment change of heart? You exit the Security deck pondering the question.
You have received 750.00 credits.
You have completed the "Honor Among Thieves" mission.
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