Rights of Man
| The following information refers to the Solaris universe and is therefore not canon for the FreeSpace continuity. |
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Solaris Campaign Black Sun - Mission 3: Rights of Man
System: Rubedo-Cassis
Description: A worker insurrection exposes the fragility of the Sulsian hold over the Fringe. Ross wonders whether they hold the moral high ground.
Created: November 10th, 2019
Released: October 9th, 2021
Background
The situation in Sulsia is deteriorating with unrest rising throughout the Fringe. Indentured workers - the backbone of the Sulsian economy - are throwing down tools and demanding more rights, inspired by the rhetoric from Gadaria's Malika People's Militia. Security contractors are in higher demand than ever, and Lau has chosen a particularly lucrative contract over the planet Rubedo.
The Hoshikuzu is to provide cover for a troop transport to seize an orbital silicon refinery back from workers who have overthrown the station's management.
Walkthrough
Player and wingman loadouts are locked to the Comet gunship with Huaqing rifle primaries and Sparrow AAMs, similar to the previous mission.
The mission target is the station Korra, a large silicon refinery in orbit over the planet Rubedo Prime. Ross's gunship has been fitted with an EMP mine which needs to be deployed near Korra's reactor. This will shut down the station's systems including life support and artificial gravity, giving the boarding troops an equipment advantage.
Ross has to fly past Open Sky and Zincali, two missile corvettes carrying Interceptor heavy AAMs. The player can either shoot down incoming anti-fighter missiles or divert them with countermeasures. Once within 100m of the dropoff marker, the player releases the EMP mine by pressing Alt-X. The EMP detonates earlier than the 30 seconds expected and an apologetic Kaur observes that he must have missed that step when arming the device.
Once power goes out on Korra, the marine transport Pollux Arrow approaches the station to commence boarding operations. Hoshikuzu engages the missile corvettes and quickly dispatches the lightly armoured Open Sky. Two light fighters power up and undock from Korra to engage Ross and Meiks. These fighters can be easily dispatched with Sparrow AAMs. Hoshikuzu turns her weapons onto the Zincali.
The flat-top freighter Arktos warps in with a series of construction drones docked to her. As the drones begin to undock and make for Hoshikuzu, they are identified as suicide drones carrying high explosive mines. They can do significant damage to the Hoshikuzu, but aiming at the mine at the front of the drone will quickly destroy it. Ross wonders what sort of desperate circumstances warrants suicide mine drones. As Pollux Arrow docks to Korra, the area is cleared of hostile ships and the Hoshikuzu crew wait for the Pollux Arrow troops to do their work. Ross questions what would make the workers rise up like this, and whether it was worth all the bloodshed. Kaur reminds Ross that freedom is always worth fighting for. A confused Ross is told that Sulsia was built on slavery, who then asks Lau if they're on the right side. Lau doesn't like it either, but feels she has to work within the system.
Two transports and a cutter arrive on the far side of Korra. Intercepted transmissions reveal they are troop reinforcements for the rebelling workers on Korra. The new arrivals quickly realise that the station is under attack and move to board the station to assist. They are revealed to be Malikan ships after they recognise the Hoshikuzu's transponder from records of the prior engagement with the Equinox.
Mace fighters eject from the cutter which need to be eliminated so that Ross and Meiks can disable the troop transports. Once the danger of hostile boarders is resolved, the cutter is engaged and destroyed.
Pollux Arrow's troops secure the station, and the contract is complete.
Notable ships present
- Hoshikuzu - Rasputin-class corvette
- Pollux Arrow - Tortoise-class transport
- Open Sky - Pompeii-class gunboat
- Zincali - Pompeii-class gunboat
- Arktos - Stargazer-class freighter
- Grianstad - Orleans-class cutter
- Sal - Barbican-class transport
- Ekata - Barbican-class transport
Outcome
- Successful completion of contract.
- Malikan occupation of refinery Korra repelled.
- Korra remains under Energence Industries management.
Notes
- There is a bonus objective for setting off a chain detonation of the suicide drones while they're docked to the Arktos. The combined damage is enough to destroy the freighter outright.
- This is the first mission the player is exposed to hostile anti-fighter missiles. Countermeasure usage is somewhat different to FreeSpace's, as the flares stay active for several seconds. Optimal use of countermeasures is to deploy as early as possible, maximising the time of seeker diversion. It is recommended to move away from the area of flare deployments, as the player can still sustain damage from a nearby detonation of hostile AAMs.
