Confusion about Captives/Rescue Missions

[Shadowfax]

Does the player who takes the captive(s) have the ability to forego the playing of a Rescue mission by immediately selling the captives to slavers, or does the captive's gang always have one shot at a Rescue mission before the fate of the captive can be decided?

I assumed the latter, or else the Rescue mission is pointless. How could it ever be played? Either the ransom will be paid, or the price will be too high and the captive will be sold off... there's nowhere to fit a Rescue mission in, unless for some reason the Capturer agrees to hang onto the captive indefinitely while the ransom amount is being put together (which would be an invitation for defeat)

By the strict letter of the rules, a Rescue mission can never be played, since there's no clear explanation of when it becomes an option. So how do you guys deal with this?

[Major_Gilbear]

the captives' owning gang may want to trade/buy the captives back, or may not want them back at all. In this case, you are free to sell them into slavery.
If the captives' owning gang want to try and rescue them, they have to be allowed to do so.
After that, if the rescue is failed, you can sell them into slavery straight away.

[Tomothy]

Yeah, first step negotiate release. If a price is agreed upon you either keep the captive until they backstab you and decide upon a rescue or it is paid.

If no price can be agreed upon then the option is given for a rescue. If this is declined or failed then the captive can be sold into slavery.

We usually have a couple of rules regarding rescues so they don't get out of hand in a league environment.
1. They can only be played immediately after the game in which a fighter was captured.
2. After the game in which they were captured only injuries and experience are rolled. No territories or trading post.
3. Only uninjured fighters (from either side) can take part in the rescue.
4. After the rescue injuries and experience are worked out, then you can work out territories and trading post.
5. During rescue the captive is set up separately from his eq, a token should be used to represent the eq. This can be rescued as well (xp as for getting a loot token in scavengers).