# Encounter Proof — Star Freight

> One encounter, three resolutions. Proves combat is a campaign event — not a minigame the captain visits temporarily.

---

## Why This Encounter Exists

The player is carrying Keth bio-crystal through the Veshan border corridor on a trade run to House Vekhari's port. They've been building Vekhari standing (+18) to access the broker Torren — an investigation lead from the Scholar Drift (beat 4: Halden used a Vekhari broker to buy Ancestor charts).

A Veshan warship from House Drashan — a rival house — intercepts them. Drashan and Vekhari are in a trade dispute. The Drashan captain considers Keth goods passing through disputed territory to be a provocation. He issues a formal Honor Challenge.

**This fight exists because:** a trade route (Keth goods → Vekhari port) crossed a faction conflict (Drashan vs Vekhari), which the player entered because of an investigation lead (Torren the broker). All three layers created this moment. A player who wasn't trading with Vekhari, or who hadn't followed the investigation lead, would never be on this lane.

---

## Campaign State Before the Encounter

| Variable | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Credits | 2,900₡ |
| Ship | Hull 3,200/3,800 (upgraded once). Shields 400/500. Systems 74%. |
| Cargo | 5 Keth bio-crystal (buy: 65₡/unit, expected sell at Vekhari: 155₡/unit). Margin at stake: 450₡. |
| Crew | **Kethra** (Keth, Tech) — Bonded. Morale 78. Ship: Evasive Burn. Ground: Hack/EMP/Overload. |
|  | **Dax** (Reach, Fighter) — Trusted. Morale 58. Ship: Repair. Ground: Charge/Shield Wall/Intimidate. |
|  | **Maren** (Compact, Medic) — Trusted. Morale 52. Ship: Shield Boost (recently unlocked at Trusted). Ground: Field Patch/Stimulant/Triage. |
|  | **Vasek** (Veshan, Face) — Stranger. Morale 44. Ship: — (Stranger, not unlocked). Ground: Negotiate/Distract/Rally. Veshan cultural knowledge Lv.1. Recruited 2 sessions ago from House Solketh. |
| Reputation | Keth +52 (Trusted). Compact +2 (Neutral). Reach +18 (Neutral). Veshan: Drashan +5 (Neutral), Vekhari +18 (Neutral), Solketh +10 (Neutral). Orryn +22 (Neutral). |
| Cultural Knowledge | Keth Lv.2 (Conversant). Veshan Lv.1 (Aware, via Vasek). Compact Lv.1. Reach Lv.1. Orryn Lv.0. |
| Veshan Debts | 1 minor debt held (House Vekhari owes player — helped a Vekhari merchant last session). 0 debts owed. |
| Day | 289. Keth season: Emergence. Crew pay due: Day 300. |
| Investigation | 5/10 beats. Currently pursuing Torren (Vekhari broker) lead. |

---

## The Encounter: Before Combat

### The Intercept

> *The Veshan border corridor is narrow — a choke point between two mining fields that House Drashan claims as sovereign. Your scanner pings a large contact ahead. Veshan military signature. Heavy.*
>
> *It's moving to block the lane.*
>
> *Vasek leans forward. His scales have gone rigid — the Veshan tell for alarm. "That's a Drashan patrol cruiser. Commander-class. They won't let us pass without inspection."*

The Drashan warship hails.

> *A Veshan face fills the comm screen. Tall, scarred, cold-blooded in every sense. He speaks in formal Veshan — a court address, not a casual hail.*
>
> *"Human captain. You carry Keth cargo into disputed territory. House Drashan does not recognize Keth trade rights in this corridor. You will surrender your cargo for inspection, or you will answer a challenge."*

### Pre-Combat Decision

The player's options. This is where cultural knowledge shapes the encounter before any fighting:

```
ENCOUNTER — Veshan Honor Challenge (House Drashan)

Commander Solrath, Drashan patrol cruiser.
Ship class: heavy warship. Hull est. ~6,500. Escorts: none.

[1] Surrender cargo for inspection
    Cargo is confiscated (Keth goods in disputed territory).
    No combat. Drashan standing: +3. Vekhari standing: -5
    (capitulated to their rival). You lose 450₡ in trade margin.

[2] Accept the Honor Challenge
    Ship-to-ship combat. Veshan honor rules apply: single combat,
    no fleeing mid-fight, loser surrenders cargo OR pays a
    tribute. Winner gains standing with all Veshan houses.
    ⚠ Veshan knowledge Lv.1 (Aware, via Vasek):
      You know the challenge is binding — accepting commits you.
      You know the loser's tribute can be negotiated after.
      You do NOT know the full protocol for tribute terms.

[3] Invoke the Vekhari debt (minor)
    ⚠ Veshan knowledge Lv.1 required. You have Lv.1.
    Claim that Vekhari has authorized this cargo transit through
    disputed territory. Uses your minor debt (Vekhari owes you).
    Outcome uncertain — Drashan may or may not honor a Vekhari
    authorization. Vasek: "Drashan respects debts but hates
    Vekhari. It could go either way."

[4] Refuse and attempt to run
    Drashan warship is slower than you. You can probably escape.
    Consequence: Drashan standing -15. Running from a challenge
    is the deepest dishonor in Veshan culture. ALL Veshan houses
    hear about it. Vasek would consider leaving your crew.

[5] Hail — attempt to negotiate without honor protocol
    ⚠ Veshan knowledge Lv.2+ required. You have Lv.1.
    Attempting this at Lv.1 risks violating protocol and
    escalating to hostile engagement (no honor rules — he just
    attacks). Vasek: "Don't. You don't know enough to improvise."
```

**What cultural knowledge changes:**

- At **Lv.0:** Options 2, 3, and 5 are invisible. The player only sees surrender, run, or fight (without honor rules — a straight brawl against a warship with double their HP).
- At **Lv.1 (player's level):** The Honor Challenge appears with partial knowledge. The debt option is available. The player knows running is catastrophic. Option 5 is visible but flagged as dangerous.
- At **Lv.2+:** Option 5 becomes viable. The player could negotiate trade passage using Veshan commerce law. The encounter might resolve without combat entirely.

**What crew changes:**

- **Vasek (Veshan, Face, Stranger):** His presence grants Lv.1 knowledge and his warnings shape the decision. But he's a Stranger — he advises, he doesn't advocate. At Trusted, he'd actively argue for the choice that serves House Solketh's interests. At Bonded, he'd reveal that Solrath has a personal grudge against Solketh and this challenge is partly directed at humiliating Vasek through the player.
- **If Vasek weren't aboard:** Veshan knowledge drops to Lv.0. The Honor Challenge option disappears. The player faces a straight fight or surrender. The debt invocation isn't available because they can't frame it in Veshan terms. The encounter is dramatically worse.
- **Maren (Compact, Medic, Trusted):** Her ship ability (Shield Boost) is critical in this fight — the Drashan warship hits hard. Her ground abilities (Field Patch, Triage) matter if boarding happens. If she were injured from a prior fight, Shield Boost would be offline and the space combat would be significantly more dangerous.
- **Dax (Reach, Fighter, Trusted):** His ship ability (Repair) is the sustain option. In boarding, his Charge and Shield Wall control the ground. If Dax were absent (left the crew, or injured), the player loses both Repair in space and their frontline in boarding.

**The player accepts the Honor Challenge (option 2).** They know the stakes (cultural knowledge Lv.1), they have a crew that can fight (3 ship abilities online), and winning would boost standing with ALL Veshan houses — advancing their access to Torren at Vekhari port.

---

## The Fight: Ship Combat (Honor Challenge)

> *Solrath's warship advances to challenge distance. Veshan protocol: both ships start at range 4. No running. Combat ends when one side surrenders or is disabled. The corridor is narrow — asteroid walls on both sides.*
>
> *Vasek: "Honor challenge means he fights fair. No tricks. But he outguns us by double."*

### The Grid

```
SPACE COMBAT — Veshan Honor Challenge
Commander Solrath, House Drashan — Heavy Warship
Turn 1  │  Your move: Captain's Ship

  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8
 ┌──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┐
A│##│  │  │  │  │  │  │##│  ## = asteroid wall (impassable)
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤
B│##│  │CS│  │  │  │  │##│  CS = Captain's Ship
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤  VW = Veshan Warship
C│##│  │  │**│  │**│  │##│  ** = asteroid debris (cover)
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤
D│##│  │  │  │  │  │  │##│
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤
E│##│  │  │**│  │VW│  │##│
 └──┴──┴──┴──┴──┴──┴──┴──┘

YOUR SHIP  Hull: 3,200/3,800  Shields: 400/500
  [1] Volley (range 4) — 68% on VW
  [2] Evasive Burn (dodge +30%, no attack) [crew: Kethra]
  [3] Repair (restore 250 hull, no move) [crew: Dax]
  [4] Shield Boost (double shields 1 turn) [crew: Maren]
  [M] Move (3 tiles)  [B] Board (adjacent only)

VESHAN WARSHIP  Hull: ~6,500  Shields: ~600
  Behavior: Advancing. Will close range for Ram + Heavy Broadside.
  Abilities (est.): Ram, Honor Challenge lock, Heavy Broadside.

HONOR RULES: No retreat. Combat ends on surrender or disable.
```

**The player's 4 ship abilities vs the warship's raw power.** This is where the crew binding is felt as a tactical reality. Kethra's Evasive Burn dodges his heavy hits. Dax's Repair sustains through the damage. Maren's Shield Boost absorbs his opening broadside. Vasek, at Stranger, contributes nothing to the ship. That empty 4th slot is a missing tactical option — if Vasek were Trusted, his ship ability (Hail — mid-combat negotiation) would let the player attempt surrender terms after a few strong turns instead of fighting to the finish.

### Turn 1

The player activates Shield Boost (Maren). Shields double: 400 → 800 for this turn. They move 1 tile toward the debris at C3 — partial cover.

Solrath advances 2 tiles (heavy ship, slow) and fires Heavy Broadside. Massive damage: 680. Shields absorb it: 800 → 120. Without Shield Boost, that would have been 280 to shields + 400 to hull. Maren's ability saved 400 hull damage on turn 1.

### Turn 2

Player fires Volley from behind debris cover (half cover). 72% hit. Hit. 360 damage. Solrath hull: ~6,140.

Solrath advances 2 more tiles. He's at D5 now, 2 tiles away. He fires again. 580 damage. Shields gone. 460 to hull. Player hull: 2,740/3,800.

**The player feels the pressure.** Two turns in and they've lost 460 hull. The warship has 6,140 left. They can't trade volleys.

### Turn 3

Player uses Evasive Burn (Kethra). Dodge +30%, no attack. They move to C4 — behind the central debris, half cover.

Solrath fires. 65% base hit, -25% cover, -30% evasion = 10% hit. Miss. Evasive Burn + cover negated the attack entirely.

**The tactical puzzle is visible:** The player can't out-damage Solrath, but they can cycle Evasive Burn + cover to avoid hits, then Repair to recover, then Volley when Solrath is repositioning. It's a war of attrition the player can win IF they manage abilities correctly.

### Turn 4

Player fires Volley. Solrath is close now — 74% hit. Hit. 360 damage. Solrath hull: ~5,780.

Solrath uses Ram. He closes to adjacent (C5 → C4 but player is there — C3 to C4 gap). Ram requires adjacent. He moves to D4 instead and fires standard attack. 420 damage. Player hull: 2,320.

Player uses Repair (Dax). +250 hull. Player hull: 2,570.

### Turn 5

Player fires Volley from adjacent. 82% at this range. Hit. 360 damage. Solrath hull: ~5,420.

Solrath Rams. Adjacent. 500 damage to both ships. Player hull: 2,070. Solrath hull: ~4,920. The Ram also locks them adjacent — boarding is now possible for either side.

**Decision point:** The player is adjacent. They can board — transition to ground combat where their crew fights Solrath's crew inside his warship. Ground combat favors the player: they have 4 crew members vs whatever Solrath has, and their crew is built for ground fighting (Dax is a Fighter, Kethra is Tech, Maren is Medic). The warship's advantage is hull HP, not crew quality.

Or they can keep trading space shots, cycle Evasive Burn + Repair, and try to whittle 4,920 HP.

**The player boards.**

---

## The Fight: Ground Combat (Boarding)

> *Your ship latches onto the warship's hull. The airlock cycles. Dax is first through — weapon drawn, eyes sharp. Kethra behind him with her toolkit. Maren has her medkit and sidearm. Vasek hesitates at the airlock — he's not a fighter, he's a Face. But he follows.*
>
> *Vasek: "Solrath will have honor guards. Veshan infantry. They'll fight in pairs — one shields, one strikes. Break the pairs."*

Cultural knowledge at Lv.1: Vasek's briefing tells the player the enemy formation. At Lv.0, the player wouldn't know this. At Lv.2, Vasek would also know Solrath's personal bodyguard uses a specific fighting style with a vulnerability.

### The Grid

```
GROUND COMBAT — Boarding Solrath's warship
Turn 1  │  Your move: Dax (Fighter)

  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8
 ┌──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┬──┐
A│AL│  │  │██│  │  │  │  │  AL = Airlock (your entry)
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤  ██ = bulkhead (full cover)
B│  │Dx│Kt│  │██│  │  │  │  ▓▓ = console (half cover)
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤
C│  │Mn│Vk│▓▓│  │  │  │  │  Dx = Dax (Fighter)
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤  Kt = Kethra (Tech)
D│  │  │  │  │▓▓│s1│S1│  │  Mn = Maren (Medic)
 ├──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┼──┤  Vk = Vasek (Face)
E│  │  │  │  │  │s2│S2│BR│  S1,S2 = Veshan Shield (heavy)
 └──┴──┴──┴──┴──┴──┴──┴──┘  s1,s2 = Veshan Strike (fast)
                              BR = Bridge (objective)

YOUR CREW                  ENEMY CREW
Dax    HP: 62/62  Spd: 5  S1 (Shield) HP: 55  Behavior: hold+cover
Kethra HP: 48/48  Spd: 6  s1 (Strike) HP: 35  Behavior: flank
Maren  HP: 40/40  Spd: 4  S2 (Shield) HP: 55  Behavior: hold+cover
Vasek  HP: 35/35  Spd: 5  s2 (Strike) HP: 35  Behavior: flank

Vasek's cultural intel: "They fight in pairs. Break the pairs."
```

The enemy pairs are S1+s1 and S2+s2. The Shields hold position and provide cover. The Strikers flank around toward the player's softer units (Maren, Vasek). If the player ignores Vasek's advice and attacks the Shields first, the Strikers will reach Maren and Vasek while the Shields absorb damage. The correct play: target the Strikers first, break the pairs, then deal with the Shields.

### Turn 1

**Dax** (Fighter, Spd 5 — goes first in crew): Charge toward s1 (Strike). Charge: close distance + attack. 78% hit. Hit. 28 damage. s1 HP: 7. The Striker is nearly down in one hit — Dax hits hard.

**Kethra** (Tech, Spd 6): EMP Grenade targeting s1 and S1 (they're adjacent). AoE stun, 1 turn. Both stunned. s1 and S1 lose their next action.

**Maren** (Medic, Spd 4): Moves to half cover behind console at C4. Holds position — no one needs healing yet.

**Vasek** (Face, Spd 5): Distract on s2. s2 must target Vasek instead of Maren next turn. Vasek is using himself as bait — his Face role in combat is controlling enemy targeting.

**Enemy turn:** s1 and S1 are stunned (Kethra's EMP). s2 advances toward Vasek (Distracted). S2 holds position and fires at Dax — 60% hit. Miss.

### Turn 2

**Dax:** Basic attack on s1. 85% (adjacent). Hit. 12 damage. s1 is down. First pair broken.

**Kethra:** Overload on Dax — boost his damage +50% for 2 turns. Dax is now the primary damage dealer closing on the second pair.

**Maren:** Stimulant on Dax — Dax gets an extra action next turn. Maren is stacking Dax for a decisive push.

**Vasek:** Rally — party-wide +15% hit chance. Vasek can't fight, but he makes everyone else fight better.

**Enemy turn:** S1 (unstunned now) fires at Dax. 65%. Hit. 22 damage. Dax HP: 40/62. s2 attacks Vasek (Distracted). 70%. Hit. 20 damage. Vasek HP: 15/35. Vasek took a real hit — he's fragile.

### Turn 3

**Dax** (boosted — extra action from Stimulant): Charge at s2. 80% + 15% Rally = 95%. Hit. 28 × 1.5 (Overload) = 42 damage. s2 is down. Second pair broken. Dax's extra action: basic attack on S2. 75%. Hit. 18 × 1.5 = 27 damage. S2 HP: 28.

**Kethra:** Hack on S2 — disable its ability (prevents it from using Shield Wall next turn). S2 is exposed.

**Maren:** Field Patch on Vasek. +20 HP. Vasek HP: 35/35. Back to full.

**Vasek:** Negotiate on S1. Attempt to end combat via persuasion.

```
NEGOTIATE — Vasek (Face) attempting surrender terms
Target: S1 (Veshan Shield guard)
Reputation check: Veshan (Drashan) +5 — barely Neutral.
Cultural knowledge: Lv.1 (Aware)
Result: S1 will listen but won't surrender without Solrath's order.
Vasek: "We need Solrath himself. Push to the bridge."
```

The Negotiate didn't end the fight, but it gave information. At higher Drashan standing or Lv.2 knowledge, Vasek could have convinced S1 to stand down.

**Enemy turn:** S1 fires at Dax. 60%. Miss. S2 fires at Kethra. 55%. Hit. 15 damage. Kethra HP: 33/48.

### Turn 4

**Dax:** Basic attack on S2. 80%. Hit. 18 × 1.5 (Overload still active) = 27. S2 is down.

Only S1 remains. The player has 4 crew standing vs 1 Shield guard.

**Kethra:** Hack on S1 — disable Shield Wall. S1 is now a regular combatant.

**Maren:** Field Patch on Kethra. +20 HP. Kethra HP: 48/48.

**Vasek:** Negotiate on S1 again — with both Strikers down and S2 down, S1 is alone.

```
NEGOTIATE — Vasek (Face) attempting surrender
Target: S1 (alone, both partners eliminated)
Modified check: S1 is alone, morale broken.
Result: S1 surrenders. "The Commander is on the bridge. I yield."
```

S1 stands down. The path to the bridge is clear.

### Turn 5 — The Bridge

> *Dax kicks open the bridge door. Commander Solrath stands at the command console. Alone. His guards are behind you, defeated or surrendered. He looks at your crew — a human captain, a Keth tech, a Reach fighter, a Compact medic, and a Veshan face from House Solketh.*
>
> *His eyes linger on Vasek. Something passes between them — a recognition.*
>
> *Solrath sheathes his sidearm. In Veshan honor protocol, this means he's yielding the challenge. The fight is over.*

**Ground combat: 5 turns. Decisive. Short.** The pairs mechanic (from Vasek's cultural briefing) gave the player a puzzle. The crew synergy (Dax as damage, Kethra as control, Maren as tempo, Vasek as social/support) created a tactical identity. The Negotiate attempts used the Face role in combat — not just as flavor, but as information gathering and eventually forcing surrender.

---

## Resolution: Three Branches

### Branch A: Victory (what happened above)

> *Solrath yields the challenge. In Veshan honor protocol, the winner dictates terms — within reason.*
>
> *Vasek whispers: "You can demand passage rights, tribute, or a favor. Don't demand his ship — that's execution, not tribute. And don't gloat. He yielded clean."*

```
POST-COMBAT — Honor Challenge Victory

[1] Demand passage rights through Drashan corridor
    (Permanent: your ship can travel Drashan lanes freely.
     Drashan standing: +12. Solrath remembers — not warmly,
     but with respect.)

[2] Demand tribute: 800₡
    (Solrath pays. Drashan standing: +5. Transactional.
     No lasting relationship.)

[3] Demand a debt: Solrath owes you a Standard favor
    (Veshan Debt Ledger: 1 Standard debt, House Drashan.
     Callable for information, access, or military aid later.
     Drashan standing: +8. Solrath respects the choice —
     you're thinking long-term.)

[4] Refuse tribute — "No terms. You fought well."
    (Drashan standing: +20. Solrath is genuinely impressed.
     Vasek is impressed. But you get nothing material.
     This is the reputation play.)
```

At Veshan knowledge Lv.1, the player sees all 4 options with Vasek's guidance. At Lv.0 (no Vasek), only options 1 and 2 would be visible — the player wouldn't know about the debt system or the reputation play.

**The player chooses option 3: demand a Standard debt.**

> *Solrath nods. "A debt. You learn quickly for a human." He enters the obligation into his ship's log — binding across House Drashan. Vasek watches with something close to approval.*
>
> *Vasek's morale: +8. He respected the cultural intelligence of the choice. Vasek loyalty: rising toward Trusted.*

### Branch A: Campaign State After Victory

| Variable | Before | After | Delta |
|----------|--------|-------|-------|
| Credits | 2,900₡ | 2,900₡ | 0 (no tribute taken) |
| Ship hull | 3,200/3,800 | 2,070/3,800 | -1,130 (space combat damage — REPAIR BILL INCOMING) |
| Ship shields | 400/500 | 0/500 | -400 (regenerates slowly, or repair at station) |
| Kethra | HP 48/48, Bonded | HP 48/48, Bonded | Morale +2 (survived together) |
| Dax | HP 62/62, Trusted | HP 40/62 INJURED, Trusted | Took hits in boarding. Needs healing: ~200₡ at station. |
| Maren | HP 40/40, Trusted | HP 40/40, Trusted | Morale +3 (her Shield Boost was decisive) |
| Vasek | HP 35/35, Stranger | HP 35/35, Stranger (morale rising) | Morale +8. Cultural choice impressed him. Approaching Trusted. |
| Drashan standing | +5 | +13 | +8 (Honor Challenge won, debt demanded) |
| Vekhari standing | +18 | +18 | Unchanged |
| Veshan Debts | 1 minor held (Vekhari) | 1 minor (Vekhari) + 1 Standard (Drashan) | New Drashan debt: callable for access, intel, or aid |
| Cargo | 5 bio-crystal | 5 bio-crystal | Preserved — the fight was worth it |
| Investigation | Beat 5 not yet found | Vasek's reaction to Solrath hints at personal history. New thread. | Seed for Vasek loyalty mission |
| Consequence log | — | "Won Honor Challenge vs Commander Solrath. Demanded debt. House Drashan recognizes." | Future: Drashan treats player with respect. Solrath becomes a named NPC with memory. |

**What feeds back into the next loop:** Ship needs 1,130 hull repair (~500₡). Dax needs healing (~200₡). Total repair cost: ~700₡. The player preserved their 450₡ trade margin BUT now has 700₡ in repair costs. Net economic impact: -250₡ from the fight. The victory wasn't free. But the Drashan debt is worth more than credits — it's callable for access to Drashan intelligence, which may connect to the investigation. And Vasek's morale surge moves him toward Trusted, which will unlock his ship ability and deeper cultural access.

---

### Branch B: Loss (the player is disabled in space combat)

Alternate timeline: the player doesn't use Shield Boost on turn 1 (maybe Maren was injured from a prior fight and the ability is offline). Solrath's first broadside hits hull directly: 680 damage. The fight goes worse from there — without Shield Boost absorbing the opening salvo, the player's hull drops faster than Repair can sustain. By turn 5, hull hits 0.

> *Your ship goes dark. Emergency power. The hull integrity alarm screams and then dies. You're adrift.*
>
> *Solrath hails. His face is neutral. "You fought with honor. The challenge is concluded."*
>
> *In Veshan protocol, the loser of an Honor Challenge surrenders cargo or pays tribute. Solrath takes the Keth bio-crystal — all 5 units. Your trade margin is gone.*
>
> *But he doesn't take your ship, your crew, or your freedom. Honor challenge loss is not destruction. It's defeat with dignity.*

```
POST-COMBAT — Honor Challenge Loss

Solrath confiscates your cargo (5 Keth bio-crystal).
Trade margin lost: 450₡.
Ship disabled — emergency drift to nearest station.
Drift time: 2 days. Drift cost: emergency tow at Drashan
corridor waypoint — 300₡.

Drashan standing: +3 (you accepted the challenge and lost
  with honor — that earns grudging respect)
Vasek morale: -2 (he's embarrassed, not angry — you lost
  to his people)
```

### Branch B: Campaign State After Loss

| Variable | Before | After | Delta |
|----------|--------|-------|-------|
| Credits | 2,900₡ | 2,600₡ | -300₡ (tow fee) |
| Ship hull | 3,200/3,800 | 0/3,800 DISABLED | Full repair needed: ~1,200₡ at station |
| Cargo | 5 bio-crystal (worth 775₡) | 0 — confiscated | -775₡ in goods |
| Dax | Fit | Fit (no boarding happened) | No injury — space-only fight |
| Maren | Injured (ability offline) | Injured (still) | The missing ability caused the loss |
| Vasek | Stranger, morale 44 | Stranger, morale 42 | -2, embarrassed |
| Drashan standing | +5 | +8 | +3 (lost with honor) |
| Days | 289 | 291 (2 days drift) | Crew pay in 9 days, repair bill coming |
| Investigation | Pursuing Torren lead | Delayed — ship must be repaired first | Time cost |

**Total economic damage:** Lost cargo (-775₡) + tow (-300₡) + repair (~1,200₡) = **~2,275₡ total cost.** The player started with 2,900₡. After everything, they'll have ~625₡ and a repaired ship. Crew pay is due in 9 days (380₡). That leaves 245₡.

**The loss is devastating but survivable.** The player is back in the squeeze — broke, fragile, needing work. But they're alive, their crew is intact (no boarding = no injuries from the ground fight), and they actually gained Drashan standing. The investigation is delayed but not killed.

**The critical consequence: Maren's prior injury caused the loss.** If the player had healed her before this session, Shield Boost would have been online and the opening broadside would have been absorbed. The loss traces back to a previous decision — deferred healing to save credits. Consequences compounded.

---

### Branch C: Retreat (the player breaks honor protocol)

Alternate timeline: Turn 3, the player is behind on hull and panics. They choose Retreat.

> *You break formation and burn for the lane exit. Behind you, Solrath's hail turns cold.*
>
> *"Coward. You accepted the challenge and fled. House Drashan will remember."*
>
> *Vasek's scales have gone white — the Veshan color of shame. He won't look at you.*

```
POST-COMBAT — Honor Challenge Retreat (DISHONOR)

You escaped with your ship and cargo intact.
No hull damage beyond what was taken before retreat.

But:
Drashan standing: -20 (fled an Honor Challenge)
Vekhari standing: -8 (word spreads — all Veshan houses
  view this as dishonorable)
Solketh standing: -5 (Vasek's house is embarrassed by
  association)
Vasek morale: -15. At morale 29, he is below Stranger
  threshold. He will leave at the next station unless
  morale recovers.
ALL future Veshan encounters: dishonor flag set. Any Veshan
  NPC may reference this. Honor Challenges become harder to
  access (nobody wants to challenge a coward).
Consequence engine: "Fled Drashan Honor Challenge" logged.
  This will generate hostile Veshan encounters for 30+ days.
```

### Branch C: Campaign State After Retreat

| Variable | Before | After | Delta |
|----------|--------|-------|-------|
| Credits | 2,900₡ | 2,900₡ | 0 (escaped with cargo) |
| Ship hull | 3,200/3,800 | 2,740/3,800 | -460 (partial combat damage) |
| Cargo | 5 bio-crystal | 5 bio-crystal | Preserved — but at what cost |
| Vasek | Stranger, morale 44 | morale 29, WILL LEAVE | -15 morale, below departure threshold |
| Drashan standing | +5 | -15 | -20 (dishonor) |
| Vekhari standing | +18 | +10 | -8 (house-wide dishonor spread) |
| Solketh standing | +10 | +5 | -5 |
| Investigation | Pursuing Torren at Vekhari | Vekhari standing dropped. Torren may not meet with you. | Access to beat 5 now requires reputation recovery. |
| Consequence log | — | "Fled Drashan Honor Challenge. Dishonor." | Hostile Veshan encounters for 30+ days. |

**The retreat saved the ship and the cargo (+450₡ margin preserved).** But it cost:
- Vasek (about to leave — losing Veshan cultural knowledge Lv.1 and all future Veshan access from crew)
- 33 points of Veshan standing across three houses
- Investigation access to Torren (Vekhari standing dropped below the comfortable threshold)
- Future Veshan hostility (consequence engine)

**The retreat is the worst outcome.** Not because of immediate damage (it's the least damaged ship, the most credits preserved) but because of systemic consequences. The player kept their money but gutted their Veshan position, which was the reason they were on this route. They saved the trade layer but devastated the plot and cultural layers. And they're about to lose a crew member — which damages all three layers simultaneously.

**This is what makes retreat a real decision, not failure theater.** It's the rational short-term choice (save the ship) with catastrophic long-term consequences (lose Vasek, lose Veshan access, lose investigation progress). A player who retreats must then spend multiple sessions rebuilding what they lost — or pivot to a path that doesn't need Veshan standing.

---

## What This Proves

### 1. Why the fight exists
The encounter exists because trade (Keth goods to Vekhari), faction heat (Drashan-Vekhari dispute), and investigation (Torren the broker) converged on one lane. Remove any layer and this encounter doesn't happen.

### 2. What crew binding changes
- **Vasek's presence** created the Honor Challenge option, provided tactical intel on enemy formations, enabled the Negotiate ability in ground combat, and made the debt demand possible. Without him, the encounter is a straight brawl with half the options.
- **Maren's Shield Boost** was tactically decisive in victory and its absence caused the loss. One crew member's status (fit vs injured) changed the entire encounter outcome.
- **Dax's Repair** sustained the ship through sustained fire. **Kethra's Evasive Burn** negated a critical hit.
- **Vasek's empty ship slot** (Stranger, ability not unlocked) was felt as a missing option — no mid-combat Hail.

### 3. How cultural knowledge changes the fight
- **Lv.0:** Only sees surrender, fight (no honor rules), or run. The encounter is dramatically worse.
- **Lv.1 (actual):** Honor Challenge visible. Debt system accessible. Running flagged as catastrophic. Enemy formation intel from crew. Post-victory options include cultural plays (debt, no-tribute respect).
- **Lv.2+:** Could have avoided combat entirely via negotiation. Post-victory options would include deeper political plays.

### 4. Three outcomes, all real
- **Victory:** Ship damage + injury costs (~700₡), but Drashan debt earned, Vasek morale surged, cargo preserved, investigation seeded.
- **Loss:** Devastating economic hit (~2,275₡), but crew intact, honor preserved, Drashan standing actually improved, and the loss traces to a prior decision (Maren's unhealed injury).
- **Retreat:** Cheapest immediate cost, worst long-term damage. Vasek leaves. Veshan access collapses. Investigation stalls. The player saved money and lost the game's most valuable non-monetary asset.

### 5. The fight was short
Space combat: 5–7 turns. Ground combat: 5 turns. Total combat time: ~10–12 minutes. Decisive throughout — no padding turns.

### 6. The aftermath feeds the next loop
Every branch changes what the player does next:
- **Victory:** Repair ship and heal Dax (economic pressure), deliver bio-crystal to Vekhari (trade), pursue Torren with improved standing (investigation), build Vasek toward Trusted (crew investment).
- **Loss:** Emergency repairs (economic crisis), reassess the Vekhari route (trade), delay investigation (plot cost), manage Maren's injury backlog (crew maintenance).
- **Retreat:** Save Vasek or let him go (crew crisis), rebuild Veshan standing or pivot away (faction decision), find alternative path to Torren (investigation reroute), manage consequence engine hostility (ongoing tactical threat).

**In all three branches, the player is still a captain managing a life. Combat changed the campaign state. It did not pause it.**
