EV Nova
Side Missions Walkthrough

"Hey {G"dude" "babe"}, you must be [Player Name]! You mind if I call you [Player Nickname]?" Without asking he sits down at your table and looks about. You are wondering what this is all about when he suddenly turns back to you, saying, "Man, I have no idea how you people ever do business in places like this. I mean, look at the types here. They don't even have any dress sense, man. Kinda makes you feel sorry for them."

You look at the bizarre collection of bright colors, odd cuts and stupid fabric that make up what this individual calls clothing, and raise your eyebrow.

"Yeah, right {G "man" "babe"}, sorry," the man shrugs, "I should get down to the real deal. My name is Sly Styles, rock and roll entrepreneur and manager of the hottest band in Federation space, Debris Field. We have a major tour on, but the guy who was handling our security has gone and gotten himself splattered by pirates. Now, we only have two shows left on the tour, but the hardest part is that they're at the extremes of Federation controlled space. We could lose huge amounts of flash if we have to pull out," he notices the bemused look on your face, and pauses.

"Flash?" you ask him.

"Yeah, you know, Scrunner, Flash...Moolah, credits."

You nod your understanding, saying "So you want me to handle your security for the rest of the tour?"

"Yeah, rock on, {G"man" "babe"}! Our old security dude said you were on the sharp end of the Electrotrancer, and I see he was right. That's exactly what we want you to do. It's only two more gigs and then easy days. We'll pay you 50,000 per gig. For that we need to get to the shows on time, have somewhere to stow all the gear, the band, myself and the other stuff. Our spacies are already there setting up the major gear, so all you need to worry about are the instruments and stuff. What do you say?"

The concert goes without a hitch, but afterwards, as you wait for the band to come back to the ship, you see a number of unsavory types hanging around. You get the impression that they are waiting for the band to board the ship, and then tell their friends aloft which ship was carrying the band. You feel like telling them that if they want to kill them, you won't interfere, just so long as the thugs can guarantee that there won't be a memorial album, but a job is a job.

You watch as the thugs disappear, but you get the feeling that you will have some rumbles on your way to the next gig, on the planet of [Return Stellar] in the [Return System] system.

"I'm glad you dropped by," she tells you in a professional tone, "we need someone to do a few final field tests of a weapon before we start selling it to the Federation Navy. The nature of the tests isn't entirely legal, and until you complete the mission you will be under a fair amount of danger so don't say yes if you're a little squeamish."

"I need another weapon tested," she tells you in a professional tone. "It's the same deal as last time - we need someone to do a few final field tests of a weapon before we start selling it to the Federation Navy. Again, this test isn't entirely legal and it is quite dangerous so don't say yes if you don't think you're up to it."

"I have a very dangerous mission for you," she tells you tone that implies that she means business. "We want to look at developing a weapon currently only held by a foreign government. What you will be doing will be highly illegal, and you are likely to be killed if you are caught. Are you in?"

"Good to see you, Captain [Player Name]," she says smiling warmly. "I'm glad you stopped by. We've just finished work on the Wraith Cannon, and we need someone to do the usual final testing for us. Are you interested?"

"I understand that you two have been working together," states Commander Krane in a business-like tone and both you and Ms. Masterton nod. "Well, Captain [Player Name], I want you to work with her again. She has been working closely with the Federation Navy in developing a new type of ship. I'll let her tell you the details."

"This is a simple testing mission," Sharon begins smoothly, "except that we are going to be testing the 'RAGE Gunboat' as we call it against you. You will be paid 100000 credits for your efforts, are you interested?"

"Ah, are you [Player Name] of the [Ship Name]?" one of them asks as they get closer. You nod, and indicate that they should all sit down.

"Pleased to meet you," the designated spokesman begins. "My name is Jerry O'Donnell, and my colleagues and I are keen to employ you."

You wait, wondering if any of these people have ever been outside a lab in recent memory.

"We are studying the possibility of further systems beyond the Known Universe to the Galactic South, and are planning a probe launch in the space down there. However, we are unable to pilot a vessel down to our launch point ourselves. Is it possible, for a modest reimbursement, that you could take us there?"

You sit back, enjoying the thought of making them sweat a little.

"Two things," you say. "Where's the launch point and how much to get you there?"

"Well," a very nervous Jerry begins, looking over his shoulder, "we need to launch from the Kontik system, and second, we will be happy to pay you 50,000 for the trouble of getting us there. What do you say?"

You've heard all the stories about Kontik, and about how no one ever comes back alive from trying to study the place. On the other hand, 50,000 is 50,000.

"I'm glad you stopped by," he begins, very seriously. "I have a mission of the utmost secrecy for you. I can't really tell you any of the details, but if you do accept, it might be some time before you can return here.

"Are you up for it?"

"Sorry to bother you, [Player Name]," the man says by way of introduction. "My name is Temmin Shard... investigator. I was wondering if I could have a word to you?"

Your hand drifts towards your blaster in an almost instinctive move. Something about this man isn't quite right. He strikes you as being a dangerous individual.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warns, pushing his jacket open to reveal a modified shot blaster. "I have an investigators license. Legally, I could kill you and not see the inside of a prison hulk."

You place your hands on the tabletop as Shard steps forward and sits down.

"I'm glad you didn't decide to test me, [Player Name]. I'm here to hire you, not to have a fire-fight. I have been hired by the Federal government to track down some stolen Vell-os artworks. They were stolen from the First Federal Gallery and Museum on Sol. The Feds have hired me to track them down and return them intact. Apparently they are supposed to have some form of 'mystical' symbolism to the Vell-os people. The Government have of course debunked this notion, but by the same token, they are paying handsomely for their return."

"Well, what do you need me for?" you ask "You can obviously look after yourself."

"The thing is that I need another ship to go with me," he confides. "I have traced the artworks to a certain cargo convoy. They have quite an escort, and I need you to disable the Leviathan and board it while I hold them off. I will pay you 30,000 for your services. Are you keen?"

Do you take on the mission?

"I'm glad you dropped by," he tells you sincerely, "as we need to head out to our operations base to supervise the terraforming first-hand. And since you're about the only freighter captain I trust, I would really appreciate it if you could help us out again, if that's okay with you?"

We need some more [Cargo Type] to continue our work. It should only add up to around [Cargo Quantity] tons total and the pay will be the usual 25000 credits. Could you head over to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system to pick it up?

We need some more [Cargo Type] to continue our work. It should only add up to around [Cargo Quantity] tons total and the pay will be the usual 25000 credits. Could you head over to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system to pick it up?

We need some more [Cargo Type] to continue our work. It should only add up to around [Cargo Quantity] tons total and the pay will be the usual 25000 credits. Could you head over to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system to pick it up?

We need some more [Cargo Type] to continue our work. It should only add up to around [Cargo Quantity] tons total and the pay will be the usual 25000 credits. Could you head over to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system to pick it up?

We need some more [Cargo Type] to continue our work. It should only add up to around [Cargo Quantity] tons total and the pay will be the usual 25000 credits. Could you head over to [Travel Stellar] in the [Travel System] system to pick it up?

"You look a little lost, {G"m'boy" "lass"}," he drawls in a gravelly voice, "you look like I did when I had just taken my first flight as a ship captain. Mind you, that was nearly thirty years ago, but I never forgot that day. 'Tis a grand feeling being a captain of a starship, and that first landfall is something you'll never forget."

You smile and admit that you have indeed just made your maiden voyage, and he slaps you on the shoulder with a wide grin.

"Congratulations, {G"son" "m'dear"}," he says, shaking your hand with genuine regard before stepping back and looking at you with an almost calculating look on his face. "When I first made landfall, I remember running into a guy by the name of Gary, and he was just looking to settle down after plying the spaceways for a few decades. In exchange for passage he showed me the ropes, and how to get started in this crazy universe of ours.

"Well, I guess what comes around goes around," he smiles, nodding at you, "so I guess I'll make the same offer to you. What do you say?"

"You see," he explains in his gravelly voice, "some places have high prices for certain things, and others have low values for them. Different places have different values. You make money by buying low and selling high. Sometimes you can even buy medium and sell high, or buy low and sell medium, but, obviously, the profit margins will be lower. Over time you will start to identify trade runs.

"To give you a head start," he continues with a quiet dry smile, "I'll show you a couple of easy runs that should get you started, what do you say?"

"What do you say," he grins slightly mischievously," we take a trip to New England?"

"Now then," he concludes with a lazy grin, "how about we head back to Earth and I can start you on some of the good stuff? What do you think?"

"For starters," he continues, waving towards the outfits, "you should certainly consider buying a map of the local systems; knowing where you're going saves you a lot of hassles of back-tracking and stuffing around. Other outfits that are often 'must-haves' are the battery pack and the solar panels, as you can never have enough stored energy, and when you run out of energy, your solar panels quickly become a life-saver.

"Many pilots," he adds, indicating some software upgrades being hawked off to your left, "also find modifying their sensor software very helpful, especially the 'Gravimetric Sensors', 'IFF Decoder' and 'Auto Recharger' upgrades. The first allows you to gain a better picture of the size of ships around you, the second will show you whether or not surrounding ships, planets and stations are friendly towards you or not and the last means you don't have to remember to refuel, it automatically does it for you.

"As for the rest," he gestures dismissively, "have a look around and see what you like, and what you can afford. Be aware that the Federation government restricts a lot of outfits, either by requiring you to buy a license to get them, or by slapping a military ban on them.

"Incidentally," he finishes quietly, "don't think that this list of outfits is the be-all and end-all. Earth and the Kane Band do offer a fair range of services, but they certainly don't offer you everything. If you're willing, I could show you another planet that offers you a fair number of different outfits. What do you say?"

"Hey there {G"m'boy" "lass"}," Barry greets you jovially after the other guy stands up and leaves, smiling and nodding at you as he passes. "How did things go in the outfitters?"

You shrug, trying to look casual, and Barry chuckles.

"You're getting the hang of this starship captain business pretty quickly," he smiles. "Well, this is the spaceport bar. There's one in just about every port throughout the universe. A lot of back-room business comes through here, and you'll find that a lot of people looking for a ship captain to help them out will tend to come here, so it isn't a bad idea to drop into one every time you land. You can also check up on the news, and if you want to hire an escort to boost your profits on trade runs, this is the place to be. If you're into gambling, you can do that too, but myself personally, I've never put much stock in it. Let's face it, if the establishment wasn't making money from the gambling setup they have, they wouldn't be trying to get people to put their money into it.

"Anyway," he concludes dryly, "I can't show you much more here. The more you visit, the more you'll learn. So instead of having you just ferrying me around the place, how about we get you into the combat stuff?"

"On the surface," he explains quietly, "it looks simple. If you want a better ship, you go and buy it, but it isn't always so straightforward. You see, ships aren't always available, what with shipping delays, and all that. So sometimes the ship you're looking for might not be around. And then you have the second-hand ships that other captains are trying to sell to you. Be very careful of any cheap second-hand ships, as they tend to be nowhere near as good as those that are brand new. Having said that, there are some very good second-hand deals out there, ships that due to careful maintenance, and clever upgrades, are far more capable than anything you would buy 'off the shelf' so to speak, so don't discount second-hand ships altogether.

"A good place to start," he comments a little tiredly, "is by upgrading from the Shuttle to the Heavy Shuttle. It's nearly as capable in space, and it carries more energy, which allows you to jump further, and also a fair bit more cargo and weapon space.

"Again," he continues off-handedly, "like the outfits, the Federation puts certain limits on the availability of various ships. Some require you get ahold of a license, others are only available with individual military approval. Regardless, before you buy any ship, make sure you check out all the information on every ship you are looking at before you make your decision."

"Hello again, Captain [Player Name]," she greets you with a smile and a handshake. "It seems that you have done fairly well for yourself since we last met."

You shrug your shoulders, slightly embarrassed by the praise.

"Anyway," she continues after sitting down, "the head office is looking to expand into the Auroran Empire which would be an enormous business coup if they could. They need someone competent and trustworthy to help them out. That's where you come in. Interested?"

"Ory'hara?" asks the worker caste member respectfully in the Polaris tongue and you nod after bowing deeply. "I am glad to make your acquaintance, I am Tre'Nerida a logistics adviser for the Tre'pira, and I was wondering if you would be interested in talking to the Federation company 'United Shipping' regarding opening official trade ties?"

"Greetings again Ory'hara," she greets you quietly after bowing respectfully. "The Polaris are now ready to begin returning the trade to the Federation, are you interested in helping out?"