Quest: Free Mantis Mate

Occurs in:

1. Free Mantis Controlled Sector
2. Free Mantis Hunting Grounds

## Event

Ship: none.

*It isn't clear what you're looking at at first, but it appears to be the aftermath of two Free Mantis ships colliding with each other at a high velocity. There seems to be minimal power signatures and one of the engines miraculously is still running, but you aren't sure anyone is actually alive.*

1. Scrap the wreck.
	* *You start taking apart the outer hull when there's banging on your doors. You have little time to react until a swarm of Mantis overtake your ship, killing one of your crew.*
		+ You are boarded by 2-4 Free Mantis and lose a random crewmember.
			- (**If Clonebay is present**) *Dazed but alive, your cloned crew stumbles out of the clonebay and prepares to defend.*
				* The lost crewmember is cloned with some skill loss.
	* *Nothing disturbs you as you loot the ship. There are corpses of Mantis everywhere, but nothing alive.*
		+ You gain a **medium** standard reward.
	* *As you're in the midst of taking apart the outer hull, a Free Mantis ship of the same clan jumps nearby. They spot you and waste no time avenging their fallen clan members.*
		+ You gain a **low** standard reward and fight a random Free Mantis combat ship.
2. Try to make contact.
	* *To your surprise, you almost immediately receive a response. A cheerful Mantis speaks. "Ah! Federation, this is most fortuitous time. As you see, we are in major predicament. Many my brothers die, but they die valiantly. Are you here to save?"*
		1. Ask them what happened.
			+ *"Oh, yes. We see Engi do this. Two ships, come together quickly, and they make bigger, stronger ship! We try it too. However, it doesn't work as expected. Clearly, we forgot step."*
				1. Try to pry their ships apart.
					- *"Oh, I don't think that's greatest of idea. True, we did pretty stupid thing. But, too late to separate ships."*
				2. Offer to transport their crew to their clan.
					- *"Oh, greatest of thanks. I bring my friends, one second." A large group of ten or so Free Mantis come aboard carrying various possessions. You tell them to make themselves home in the cargo bay until you can find their clan grounds.*
						* You gain a quest marker.
				3. We cannot help.
					- *"Oh, understandable. You have important Fed things to do, yes. But, if it happens, here are locations of clan. Maybe you see them, and tell them where we are?" You agree to notify their clan if you happen to see them.*
						* You gain a quest marker.
		2. Offer to transport their crew to their clan.
			+ *"Oh, greatest of thanks. I bring my friends, one second." A large group of ten or so Free Mantis come aboard carrying various possessions. You tell them to make themselves home in the cargo bay until you can find their clan grounds.*
				- You gain a quest marker.
		3. We cannot help.
			+ *"Oh, understandable. You have important Fed things to do, yes. But, if it happens, here are locations of clan. Maybe you see them, and tell them where we are?" You agree to notify their clan if you happen to see them.*
				- You gain a quest marker.
3. Don't touch the wreck.
	* You don't feel like looting wrecks that might still have survivors aboard. You leave them to drift.
		1. Do something aboard the ship
		2. Do nothing.

## Take the survivors to their clan

*You have arrived at the location of the Free Mantis clan. You drop off the survivors, and the clan thanks you greatly. They offer you one of their finest soldiers in tribute.*

* You gain a Free Mantis crewmember.

## Take the news to their clan

*You have arrived at the location of the Free Mantis clan. You explain the situation to the clan leader, who seems rather perplexed. "Yes... they aren't smartest of Mantis. Still, we thank you." They gather a group to go retrieve the survivors, and pay you in scrap.*

* You receive a **low** scrap-only reward.