Free the Dutyer from prison

 is an undocumented, level-dependent storyline mission appearing in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha.

"Marked One, Petrenko here, I had an operative of mine disappear. He hasn't contacted us for a very long time and rumour is he is being held captive by the bandits. I can still pick up his PDA on my tracker so please, I will give you the PDA signal and see if you can track it and find him. But beware, helping him may make the locals hostile towards you."

- Petrenko

Overview

 * The mission is spawned and assigned to the player shortly after their initial return to the Dark Valley from Darkscape.
 * The mission may be safely ignored if the player so decides; see Main Mission Strategy for the consequential details.
 * Due to the fact that the player previously left the Dark Valley in haste, still affiliated to the Bandits' faction; this mission is designed to remove this status, return the player to membership of the Loners' faction and alienate the player from both the Bandits and the Monolithians.
 * The Prison key to the cell lies on the desk of the Bandits' Trader. Taking it in the DC version turns the bandits against you.

Simple release
"Best of luck!!"
 * Orthodox play (v1.3003) would have the player take the Prison key; release Shaggy Sergei and fight their way out of the Bandit Base.
 * On talking to the target, he wishes the player:

- Shaggy Sergei


 * ..prior to teleporting off the gameboard out of harm's way.


 * Getting out of the Base is not difficult. The window above the jail basement has a opening to climb out of and the only notable threat in that direction is a somewhat idle Poker.
 * This particular strategy has the greatest chance of success.

Rambo release

 * Attacking the Bandit Base with all guns blazing is not difficult but frequently results in the prisoner being executed before the player can reach him (v1.3003)

Covert tactics

 * Sniper and silenced attacks are fruitless.
 * The first attack upon a Bandit member alienates the whole faction (and the Monolith faction)
 * Chatting with Borov, obtaining the code to his safe (2-9-5) and taking Borov's Documents alienates the whole faction (and the Monolith faction)
 * Chatting with Borov, obtaining the code to his safe (2-9-5) and eliminating him with a couple of cheap Petrol cans from the local trader, alienates the whole faction (and the Monolith faction)
 * Note that stealing the document only turns the Bandits hostile when the player leaves the base with them (1.4007)
 * In short, Borov's death turns them hostile, whether achieved openly or indirectly.
 * All of the above stratagems may well result in the death of the objective prisoner and leave the player with twenty enemies locally and another twenty-six more heavily armed foes at the Monolith Base later on.

Conclusions

 * If the player is desperate to have a 'clean slate' then concluding any business at the Monolith Base and Lab X18 is much easier whilst still bandit-affiliated. There is no need for a further visit there afterwards if the lab has already been ransacked.

Trivia

 * The mission is best ignored if you still want to be a bandit.
 * (1.4007) Successful liberation of Shaggy Sergei grants one skill point.
 * N.B. The skill point is not announced on the game screen as is typical, but added 'silently' to the skills module tally.