Clever and funny written crime story. The Lady is back - did anyone say undercover ops?
Author: Quaker2k9
Space combat: tough, an Orion or better should work
Character combat: none, if done right, very hard otherwise
Length: medium, maybe 40 min
Prequel: A Lady in Trouble
Sequel: none
File name: lady2.qst
Download: http://www.asciisector.net/forum/quests/lady2.qst (46.2 KiB)
Source: http://www.asciisector.net/forum/quests/lady2.zip (10.4 KiB)
Walkthrough[]
A bartender has a message for you from Rick Deckard, the CIS agent you encountered in part 1. It says to meet him in the bar on Pyrdion (Loye System). When you do, he tells you that Sandra Grinder (a mafia queen who tried to have you killed in part 1) has infiltrated the CIS. He asks you to work with undercover agent Bianca Brunelli (who you already got 'under the cover' with in part 1, so to speak) to stir up Grinder's operations. But first you need to shake off anyone trying to follow you.
So he uses your Quine to guide you, first a fly-by of Nav 1 in the same system (you need to get close, until it says MISSION COMPLETED), then a jump to Vortex Prime, where three Hunters (2 Demons, 1 Centurion) attack you before you can continue to Vichy. There, fly past Nav 7 and Nav 5 before jumping to the New Beijing System. Immediately upon entering the system hail the Fur Transport, a Merchant Drayman.
Ask them to respond, then tell them Deckard sent you. After they checked that the coast is clear and some chit chat (hail them again) they send you on to Guamo (same system). There, at the Exchange, you meet Bianca Brunelli, who has assumed the name Brandy Brown to get into Grinder's organization.
She tells you Grinder has some secret Project XT at the Acorn Research Facility (Alabaster System), which can't be anything good, so must be destroyed. She also gives you her panties. (Seems to be a custom with her, probably because she's Italian…) You can't re-stock your missiles on Guamo, so a short stop in Totem (Plexus Minor System) might be advisable to visit the Shipyard and save the game.
The instant you enter Alabaster you're surrounded by three hostile Hunter Centurions, who swarm at you all at once, so a strong ship is needed. A fourth Centurion is waiting for you near Acorn itself. Only then can you finally land.
The Research Facility is normally populated by two Security Guards and a (rather rude) Clerk behind a counter. The quest in progess further adds Guards 1-3, a Guard Sergeant and Exterminator Beta 1 (a.k.a. Project XT) for a total of 8 NPCs. As soon as you leave your ship, the Sergeant runs up to find out who you are.
Now, you could resolve this with blind violence. Ignore the three regular NPCs, as long as they're not attacked they don't care what the quest NPCs are doing. That leaves five very strong opponents, all are well armed, they shoot well and the Exterminator is particularly fast. It is very hard, but it is possible to defeat them all. However, likely the intended solution is to talk yourself out of this:
- One way is to tell the Sergeant you're selling 'these fine leather jackets' (an Indiana Jones reference). The Sergeant wanders off to fix a collective order with the other guards and you're free to go.
- The alternative way is to pose as hippy protester. When the Sergeant doubts you, answer that nobody else would wear clothes of this color: you're all green, even your ship is green. Protest reckless scientists, and the Sergeant, also intimidated by Project XT, sympathizes with you.
Now you can talk to Exterminator Beta 1. Nothing to be done wrong at this point, ask every question, it invariably ends with the robot frying its own main processor with a static discharge from Bianca's panties (yes, the author of the two 'Lady' quests seems to harbor a tiny bit of a fetish). Anyway, the Exterminator starts firing at the guards, who shoot back, and, after a while, win. Robot dead. That's that.
In its bloody(!?) remains you'll find the (now ruined) panties (unless you killed everyone yourself) and some clearence codes. Take both, then you're done here. Enter your ship and leave. (Note: don't drop the codes and pick them up a second time, due to a bug in the quest script the ending scene will then behave as if you don't have them.)
Back in space above Acorn you're greeted by a Confed fleet: two Paradigms, two Broadswords and two Gladiuses. Wait until after being told they are about to destroy you, then respond to the TCS Drake(!) that you do, in fact, have clearence codes. After that, again, you must wait until they've informed you they're awaiting some terrorist, then fly off peacefully. Or, less elegant, scratch all that and just run away - works, too.
Near the Jump Gate out of the system Bianca is waiting for you in a Hunter Dralthi(!). Hailing her doesn't work, fly close enough to her so she starts talking. She asks you to meet her on Totem (Plexus Minor System), so jump and go there.
You'll find Bianca sitting at the bar. She fills you in about how corrupt Confed officials working for Grinder are now being arrested. The ending dialog differs slightly, depending on you having found the clearence codes and whether you still have her (ruined) panties.
Achievement[]
None.