A collision-warning burst yanks the escort formation toward a thin debris field beyond the patrol route. Fragments tumble slowly, reflecting the cutter’s search beams.
the patrol commander
Dire Wolf, emergency pod ahead. Recover Patrol Officer Woman One without altering formation or breaking escort position.
The pod’s beacon broadcasts Patrol Officer Woman One’s identity, followed by a corrupted command key. Its telemetry marks internal systems failure as the cause of damage, not impact with debris.
the patrol commander
I will remain aboard the cutter with the other officer. Patrol Officer Man Two will accompany you and verify the recovery.
Patrol Officer Man Two, a lean man with sealed gloves and a dark visor covering his face, an adult man in blue pressure armor, crosses into the Dire Wolf’s access spine. His narrow visor and white shoulder markings remain fixed toward the drifting pod.
the AI companion
The pod is stable enough for approach. Its corrupted key is repeating without establishing command authority, and its life-support telemetry remains active.
The patrol cutter holds formation behind Pyrebyte, while the damaged pod rotates beyond the debris field. A recovery corridor appears on the Dire Wolf’s navigation display.
✓ Quest Accepted
Rescue Patrol Officer Woman One
“"I’m a mercenary, not the coastguard. You’ll have to pay me, I’m not doing this for free."”
FAILURE (Mediocre Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Pyrebyte
I’m a mercenary, not the coastguard. You’ll have to pay me. I’m not doing this for free.
the patrol commander
Your escort authorization includes emergency recovery duties. No advance payment is available while the formation remains under statutory control.
The recovery corridor contracts into a narrow holding path. The Dire Wolf’s controls remain responsive, but the patrol network marks the rescue as disputed service rather than an active command.
the AI companion
The commander’s refusal blocks immediate payment, but the pod’s beacon contains a recoverable salvage escrow tag. I can register the recovery as a billable auxiliary operation.
Patrol Officer Man Two
If you decline, we will attempt remote guidance from the cutter. The pod’s life-support margin is limited, and remote guidance may not reach it in time.
A new authorization panel opens beside the flight path. It offers no upfront credit, but records a guaranteed claim against patrol emergency funds if the pod and officer are recovered.
the patrol commander
Accept the auxiliary claim or refuse the recovery. Those are the available terms, Dire Wolf.
“"Eh, that’s better than nothing. At least I get some salvage from it. Sure, I accept."”
Pyrebyte
Eh, that’s better than nothing. At least I get some salvage from it. Sure, I accept.
Pyrebyte confirms the auxiliary claim. The authorization panel seals the agreement, adding a guaranteed patrol emergency-fund payment to the recovery record without changing the escort formation.
the AI companion
Auxiliary recovery claim accepted and registered. Salvage escrow is linked to the pod’s beacon, with payment due upon verified recovery.
the patrol commander
Acknowledged, Dire Wolf. The claim is valid under emergency recovery statute. Proceed through the marked corridor and return Patrol Officer Woman One to the cutter.
The narrow holding path brightens across the flight display, threading between slowly tumbling fragments. The damaged pod continues its measured rotation, life-support telemetry steady within the recovery window.
Patrol Officer Man Two
I will secure the pod once we match velocity. Keep the approach smooth, and I will confirm the officer’s condition before transfer.
The patrol cutter adjusts behind the Dire Wolf, preserving formation while the recovery corridor opens ahead. No new demand interrupts the agreement, and the salvage claim remains active.
“I approach the pod with some speed, aiming to catch up with it fast and speed up the recovery.”
SUCCESS (Superb Piloting, rolled +1)
Pyrebyte advances through the marked corridor with deliberate speed, the Dire Wolf’s engines responding smoothly as debris flashes across the canopy and the pod grows rapidly larger.
the AI companion
Velocity remains within corridor tolerance. I am compensating for the pod’s rotation and preserving the formation boundary.
The fighter matches the pod’s spin and slides alongside it, close enough for the recovery clamps to align with its docking rails. The beacon remains active.
Patrol Officer Man Two
Good approach. Hold this relative position while I cross to the pod and secure its exterior hatch.
Magnetic clamps engage with a solid thud. Patrol Officer Man Two moves through the access spine, crosses the short gap, and locks onto the pod’s hull.
the AI companion
Pod secured to the Dire Wolf. Life-support telemetry is stable, and the recovery corridor remains clear for the return transfer.
The damaged emergency pod now hangs safely alongside the fighter, tethered within the recovery bay’s capture field. The auxiliary claim updates to recovery in progress.
“I hold the ship steady while the patrol officer recovers the pod.”
SUCCESS (Superb Piloting, rolled +0)
Pyrebyte holds the Dire Wolf steady as its stabilizers counter the pod’s rotation. Engine thrust remains precise, keeping the recovery bay aligned within the marked corridor.
the AI companion
Relative position is stable. Clamp tension is within safe limits, and the patrol cutter confirms the formation boundary remains intact.
Patrol Officer Man Two releases his hull lock and crosses into the recovery bay. He secures the pod’s exterior hatch, then connects its life-support umbilical.
Patrol Officer Man Two
Pod is secured. I am opening the hatch and beginning the transfer of Patrol Officer Woman One.
The hatch cycles under controlled pressure. Inside, Patrol Officer Woman 1 lies restrained in the emergency cradle, her suit telemetry steady as Patrol Officer Man Two guides her into the fighter’s recovery compartment.
Patrol Officer Man Two
Officer recovered and breathing. I have her secured for return to the cutter. The pod is ready for separate custody transfer.
The auxiliary claim updates to verified recovery. The Dire Wolf remains motionless relative to the debris field, with the rescued officer safely aboard and the patrol cutter closing in.
Quest Complete
Rescue Patrol Officer Woman One
Skill Upgrade: Piloting Superb→Legendary