Contracts

### Overview

This information doesn't apply when playing campaigns other than the main campaign. Don't misunderstand: these contracts aren't part of the main campaign itself, but are offered separately as optional side quests. They continue to be offered after you've completed all of the missions of the main campaign, and the war mercenary contracts aren't offered until you've completed the main campaign missions.

Contract offers from Delta, Motus, and the Syndicate appear in your inbox. Some of them are offered directly by your contacts within the factions. Others are offered through the Independent Job Market. The Syndicate won't offer you any contracts during (approximately) the last half of the campaign, but once the campaign is completed the Syndicate is once again friendly and offering contracts.

You aren't obligated to take an offered contract. Although your faction contacts will express annoyance or displeasure if you decline a contract they personally offer, that's just talk and nothing bad will happen. You won't lose reputation with their faction or anything.

You can have only one contract active at a time. If you have a contract active, you must complete, fail, or cancel it before you can even look at other contract offers.

Each contract comes with stated rewards, in credits and reputation. For combat contracts, the rewards give a strong indication of the difficulty of the contract.

Different contract types come with different time pressures. Some require that they be fulfilled on your very next travel. Some require that you immediately travel as fast as you can (and that still might not be fast enough). Some tell you to travel as fast as you can, but you're intercepting one or more ships and the map might tell you that you've got plenty of time to head them off. Many others have no rush at all and you can handle them at your convenience.

### Non-combat contracts

Motus: *Transport* a product. The maximum number of units is provided, along with the price that will be paid for each unit. These are the most lucrative contracts available. You'll need to obtain the product yourself. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You don't need to deliver the full amount requested, but you can only make one delivery trip. Combat is possible if you take over 15 hours in a travel leg, and in the rare event that you end up at the place the main campaign is asking you to go.

Syndicate: *Smuggle* a product. These are essentially the same as transport contracts except the destination will be a carrier ship, not a station. The maximum number of units is provided, along with the price that will be paid for each unit. The maximum number of units is lower and the offered price is higher than on a transport contract. You'll need to obtain the product yourself. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You don't need to deliver the full amount requested, but you can only make one delivery trip. Combat is possible if you take over 15 hours in a travel leg. Occasionally the destination ship will be in a location that you can't normally travel to (such as the surface of Mercury), if you're interested in sight-seeing.

### Possible combat contracts

Motus: *Transport a passenger*. The offered fee is small and depends on the distance. You must complete this contract immediately, so don't undock without enough fuel to make the trip. The longer the travel time, the more likely you'll encounter combat at the destination, and traveling at maximum speed seems to almost guarantee a quiet arrival. If combat is encountered, Motus will increase the reward with a combat bonus and an extra reputation point. You can't withdraw from combat without failing the contract and losing reputation with Motus.

Delta: *Transport a prisoner*. The offered fee is modest and depends on the distance. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You'll probably encounter combat at the destination. Delta's contract assumes that combat will be necessary so the contract already includes a combat bonus and an extra reputation point (which you get even if there is no combat). You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed. It's possible that the Syndicate will make you an offer to release the prisoner to them, which won't improve your Syndicate reputation but will reduce your reputation with Delta by 20 points (and you lose the two points you'd have gotten for a proper delivery).

A special note for possible-combat contracts where the contract destination is an outpost, rather than a ground base or space station: Be cautious if combat ensues. Outposts can be destroyed when caught in the crossfire. If that happens, you won't be able to complete your contract. Furthermore, if the outpost is in the Solar System, it's gone for good and nothing else will every appear at that location. It might be a good idea to draw the combat away from the outpost.

### Combat contracts

Syndicate: *Cargo run*. The target is a transport ship that has been hijacked by pirates. Fighter ships might also be present, and the contract will indicate if that's the case. You should expect to fulfill this contract soon, because the transport ship is in motion and you'll need to intercept it before it reaches its destination. If you bring an empty transporter ship along, it can pick up some of the cargo that is released when the ship is destroyed. If there are fighter ships present, remember to instruct your transporter(s) not to engage with them, letting the transporter(s) loiter at the edges of the combat zone. The reward is relatively small, but it's usually an easy job, you can collect some cargo, and the improved reputation with the Syndicate will bring better offers on smuggling contracts.

Syndicate: *Attack passenger ship*. The target is fighter ships escorting a passenger ship. You should expect to fulfill this contract soon, because the passenger ship is in motion and you'll need to intercept it before it reaches its destination. You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed. You might not need to eliminate all of the fighters. The reward is relatively small, but the improved reputation with the Syndicate will bring better offers on smuggling contracts.

Delta: *Protect ship*. The target is fighter ships already surrounding a passenger, cargo, or fuel ship. You'll need to fulfill this contract immediately, and get to the combat area as quickly as possible. You can't withdraw from combat without failing the contract.

Delta: *Eliminate pirate squadron*. The target is a single flight of pirate fighter craft. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed.

Motus: *Escort*. The target is one or more squadrons of pirate fighter craft that are attempting to intercept a civilian ship. The map provides useful information on the location of the ship you're to protect, the locations of the pirate squadrons, and how quickly they're moving. You should plan to intercept the first squadron immediately, getting to the intercept point as quickly as possible. Any other squadrons are usually a bit farther away, giving you time to repair, reload, and refuel if necessary before engaging them, but check the map to be sure.

Delta: *Eliminate pirate station* (rare). The target is an outpost station, guarded by fighters. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed.

Delta: *Eliminate capital ship*. The target is a hijacked capital ship, probably with fighters also present. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed.

Delta: *Eliminate all pirate fleets*. The target is a number of pirate fleets, which can contain capital ships. There is no hurry on this contract except that you can't take another contract until you fulfill or cancel this one. You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed.

Delta: *Protect station from the attack*. Usually the most challenging of the contracts. The target is multiple fleets, which tend to be large, with gunboats, and can contain capital ships. You should expect to fulfill this contract soon, because the first fleet is in motion and you'll need to intercept it before it reaches the station. The other fleets are usually a bit farther away, giving you time to repair, reload, and refuel if necessary before engaging them, but check the map to be sure.

### War mercenary contracts

Once you've completed all of the missions in the main campaign, wars frequently will break out between the factions. One of the factions will send notes to your inbox to attempt to recruit you to support them. Your contract with the faction has a fixed term (usually 40 travel days or less), and comes with the obvious downside that you'll become unwelcome by the enemy faction until the war is over. If you don't want to anger the named enemy faction, travel to one of that faction's stations and check the inbox there to get the same offer with an alternative enemy faction. Only one war is active at a time and you don't get to choose sides, so if you don't want to work for the faction who's trying to recruit you, you'll just have to wait until that war is over (the term of the proposed contract tells you how long that will be).

If you sign up, you'll get military mission assignments in your inbox. Those missions will usually be massive battles involving about half a dozen capital ships supported by dozens of fighter craft already on the battlefield (not waiting in waves). You'll usually find many friendly forces, including some capital ships, mixed up in the action. You can withdraw to repair, reload, and refuel as needed. The rewards offered are large but not really competitive with the somewhat easier "protect station from the attack" combat missions, and they might or might not cover the costs you'll incur. You won't gain any reputation with the contracting faction, and when the war is over your reputation with the enemy faction will be the same as it was. Take these military missions if you like engaging in the giant battles like the ones in the final missions of the main campaign.

Just as a point of interest, some of the missions involve protecting a secret base. Those stations exist only for the mission, and you can't dock on them even after winning the battle. Some of those stations can be things you'll never see anywhere else, like a giant space station sporting Workers Union colors.