Welcome to the Lutsk sector. As Nia said at the end of last update, we should head for the nearest planet, Popash. Along the way, we see that enemies have received a decent difficulty boost from the Ropesk sector, as we face three enemies, including a destroyer.
Kira's Medic ability becomes insanely useful in this battle as I end up backing off and spamming Medic to get my HP back up after a barrage knocks 300 health off. We definitely need to pick up some new weapons.
I end up fighting twice and escaping the third battle, as our ship was in no condition to go another round. Arriving at Popash luckily solves our HP and fatigue problem, and we head down to the surface to celebrate.
On the surface, we fine a module company, where we pick up three new modules, the Sick Bay Lv 1, Security Room Lv 1, and Accounting Office Lv 1. For 35 G total, and I'm pretty sure we can spare that.
In the tavern, we make the normal rounds.
>>Talk to female adventurer.
Female Adventurer:
Have you been to the module design company yet? As long as you have the blueprints for a module, you can get it installed at any remodeling shop you want, you know. That's why you should always buy every set of blueprints you can get your grubby little hands on!Thanks, tutorial lady!>>Talk to the male adventurer.
Male Adventurer: Well, what do you know? So you're from Ropesk, are you? Seeing as the Lutsk Sector is so much closer to Central Elvaga than the Ropesk Sector is... I bet you were blown away by what a flourishing place Lutsk is! Not like back home, eh?
>>Talk to the bartender
>>>Get Information
Conversation #1Bartender:
The sectors around here are completely overrun by the Novgorod Pirates. The boss of the local division, Balik, is so powerful, not even the military seems to be able to do anything about him!Conversation #2Bartender: The Novgorod Pirates have several different local divisions and leaders, and they wreak their havoc all over Elgava. They're kind of like a pirate guild, I guess you could say. The major power in this sector is Balik, but there are even more powerful bosses in other sectors, I hear.
Reoccurring mooks, got it.He doesn't have a job for us.
We head back up the elevator, and I remember to assign our new friend Torlo to a position before we head out again.
Torlo by stats is good at navigation, artillery, management or ground combat. His skills are
Space Warrior - (Security post) - Bonus during melee battles (special attack type)
Marksman - Improves Shoot.
I'm not fond of either skill, so Torlo is assigned to a position in the Artillery department to improve our damage output slightly. I decide to head to the nearby planet of Perekop to see what else there is to do here.
We fight a number of battles getting there, and the difference being well-rested makes for the command gauge is night and day.
Then a cutscene occurs:
Kira: Yuri?
Yuri: What's up, Kira?
Kira: There's a large ship headed this way.
That's a large ship, alright.A com signals
? ? ? : Do you read me? This is Dedon Galkin of the Novgorod Pirates.
Galkin: I don't appreciate the way you've been treating my associates. So now you'll have to answer to me!
We're thrown into battle against Galkin's cruiser - this isn't a fair matchup at all. His cruiser has a new ability that buffs its defense, which he uses twice straight off the bat. It doesn't seem to significantly decrease our damage done, oddly. The battle turns into a cat and mouse game of backing off to heal and then charging in under Dodge to barrage him once he's used his energy on barrages or specials.
Eventually, we hit a second cutscene.
Torlo: That bastard's still hanging on!
Yuri: Don't let him get away! Prepare for pursuit--
something explodes nearby
Yuri: Yikes!
An outside view shows several beams passing by our ship.
Galkin: Hot Grus! Central Elgavan Forces, eh? All right, men! Time to pull out! Come about!
Probably the best choice for him. He's not exactly riding around in Valentine's Corsair.Torlo: Damn it! We almost had him! Who are these guys, breakin' up our party?
Nia: "These guys" are the Central Elgavan Forces. Try to keep your temper in check, okay there, sport?
Yuri: What are they doing here?
??: Central Elgavan Forces here. Commander Oleg Vladkykin, Zone 4 Fleet.
Vladykin: Are you all right?
Torlo: Are we "all right"?! We almost had him, I tell ya!
Kira: Be quiet, Torlo! He'll hear you!
Don't leave the comm on then.Torlo: Hmph.
Yuri: This is the captain, Yuri. I appreciate your support.
Vladykin: Good. It looks like you're all right then. Hm... You seem young for a captain. Still, you did a fine job holding your own. I'd like to meet you in person sometime if you have a chance.
If you ever come to the Lutsk Base, please drop by and see me. Until then, safe travels to you!
After his speech, the CEF fleet takes off.
Torlo: There they go. Hmph. They let the pirates get away!
Yuri: ...
Kira: Are you going to go see that commander?
Yuri: What, don't you want me to?
Kira: I just don't think that getting involved with the military is a very good idea.
Yuri: No, huh? They might know something about Epitaphs, though. I don't think it'd hurt to just check it out.
Kira: ...
After a few more battles, we arrive at Perekop. This planet has a shipyard and remodeling options, but we go planetside first before we go to make changes. The first place to visit is a special location, Efimov Inc.
>>Efimov Inc.
As they try to enter, a guard with a dangerous look in his eye cuts them off.
Guard: Sorry, but Efimov, Incorporated, only does business with a certain type of people, if you know what I mean. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
Nia: That's funny. Usually places like this will do business with just about anybody. I wonder what's up.
Yuri: Really?
Nia: Yup. As long as you have the money, what do they care if you're a pirate or a pineapple? Really strange.
Instead, we go hit the bar, where there are a couple of employees from Efimov we can chat with.
>>Talk to Weapons Employee 1.
Employee: (sighs) I was really happy when Efimov hired me on. But now there are all these scary guys just wandering around like they own the place. I never feel safe anymore! I'm thinking of maybe changing jobs.
>>Talk to Weapons Employee 2.
Employee: So you've been to Efimov, have you? It's in a pretty sad state of affairs don't you think? Now, you didn't hear this from me, but Efimov, Incorporated, was subject to a hostile takeover by the Novgorod Pirates. The worst of it was when they murdered the former president, in cold blood!
His son, who took over as president, had to go into hiding. I hear he's currently hiding out on the planet Klaipeda.This isn't relevant to our interests, no sir.>>Talk to the bartender
Bartender: Efimov is a pretty well-known weapons giant. Their employees come in here all the time. I don't know what they're up to, though... Lately, they've been hiring quite a few rough-looking characters.
The bartender has a job for us - deliver components from Efimov to the planet Nezhatin. This pays 700 G, which is a nice step up.
Nia: Huh. Even taking costs into consideration, that's a pretty good chunk of change for such an easy job. What's the catch?
Bartender: Ah, you're a sharp one! Actually, there is one small condition... The components they want transported are very delicate precision instruments. They're extremely vulnerable to shock.
So that means that battles have to be avoided at all costs while you're transporting these components. If they get damaged during transport, you'd have to pay 500 G in compensation.We accept the job - we'll just have to run away from a few (dozen) fights.
As long as we're here, I remodel the
Satis to include the new modules we picked up. We swap out two holds for the sickbay, security room and accounting office.
xxx
oox - Sick Bay Lv 01 - MED TECH +4, Livability +4, 100G
oox
xxx
oox - Accounting Office Lv 01 - Livability +2, Expenses -5, 150G
xxx
xxx
oox - Security Room Lv 01 - Livability +6, Melee +2, 100G
xxx
Net effects: Hold space - 16, Livability +12, Melee +2, MED TECH +4, Expenses -5
Cost of Changes: 190 G.
These changes now make the
Satis more livable then the
Daisy, so with the exception of the destroyer's mobility score, it's now better then Nia's little flyer in every way.
Despite Nezhatin being right next to Perekop in Area 1, we have two points to travel through in Area 2 to get there. If I wasn't dedicated to doing missions right, I would have made far more on the flight - I escaped 8 battles with an average earning of 200 credits to make 700 credits instead. Oh well, those pirates will be there on the way back.
Nezhatin has two new modules for sale - Elgava Bridge Lv 2 and Crew Cabin Lv 2, which we snatch up.
Arriving at the bar, we're greeted eagerly by the Bartender.
Bartender: I've been expecting you! You have the Efimov cargo? I'm ready to receive it.
Yuri: I've already made arrangements with my crew. You can pick it up from them anytime.
Bartender: Oh, very thorough of you. I'll have it taken care of right away.
You've made arrangements to hand over the cargo!
A job well done! You got 700 G!>>Talk to your friends.
Torlo: I dunno. I just don't like him, that Commander Vladykin guy!
Kira: Why not?
Torlo: It's just this feeling I get. Like maybe he's in cahoots with the pirates or something. That's what I think, anyway.
Kira: Do you really think he could be?
Torlo: Things like that happen all the time, toots! That's just the way the universe works! You got a bad feeling about him too, don't ya, Yuri?
Yuri: Oh, I don't know. I don't like having preconceived ideas about people. I'd rather just keep an open mind.
Which is good for you Torlo, given the whole attempted knifing thing at the beginning.Torlo: Yeah, that could be true. But I don't exactly hear you sayin' you trust him, either!
Yuri: I guess you got me there.
Nia: Torlo, you're a lot smarter then you look sometimes.
>>Talk to the old man.
Yuri says hello to an older man who is accompanied by a small child.
? ? ?: Well, well. Traveling the sea of stars at such a tender age! What an interesting young man you must be. My name is Gen Nadiy. And this is my student, Alik Kovalenko. Come on, now, Alik. Don't be shy.
Alik: N-N-Nice to meet you.
Gen: Well, as you can see, conversing is not Alik's strongest point. But he is the most promising young mind I have ever tutored!
>> Talk to Gen Nadiy.
Conversation #1Gen: What do I tutor my student in, you ask? Well, let me see... I teach him to read the course of a battle and to predict its most likely outcome. You look like you have promise yourself, young man. Would you care for an introduction to the rudiments?
>>> No
Gen: No? What a shame. I see such promise in you...
And then you can ask again. Why would you ever say no?>>> YesYes yes yes yes-Gen: Very good, very good. Just a taste, mind you, but let us begin.
Gen Nadiy imparted his wisdom to Yuri!
You acquired the Special Skill, "Fleet Leader Lv. 2"!Gen:
You can now have two ships in your fleet. Please use your newfound power for good.
Double my HP and firepower? Yes, yes I will. Haha... haha hahahahahahahahahaha!Conversation #2Gen: Hm. There is nothing else I can teach you at the moment. But be patient and apply yourself. If I see that you've grown the next time we meet, I may have more to teach you then.
>>Talk to the bartender
The bartender has the same conversation as the one on Perekop, and no job for us.
We head back to the elevator and I change the fleet to include the
Daisy for the moment. We'll want to buy a new destroyer to replace her as soon as possible, but until we reach a shipyard, she's better than nothing.
We now have a couple of leads to check out - we can visit the naval base to talk to Commander Vladykin, we can visit the planet Klaipeda to check out the president-in-hiding of Efimov, Incorporated, and we should still visit the sector capital of Lutsk.
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Topic: Let's Play: Infinite Space (Read 105566 times)