Briefing texts (Vassago's Dirge)

VASSAGO'S DIRGE MISSION INFORMATION

COMPILED BY: SDM

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WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the following storylines: Vassago's Dirge

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Note that the texts may contain edits due to extra spaces being in the original campaigns.

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Prelude

Start vassago-01.fs2

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Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

Commander? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Captain White, Special Operations Command. Your little trip to Cagliari Station has certainly raised some eyebrows, and that is why I will be handling your debriefing instead of Commander Daniels.

You look tired, have you slept at all? Black- ah, how rude of me. This is my assistant, Lieutenant Black. He'll be recording our conversation as well as performing any clerical duties. Black, could you please go get our friend a cup of coffee?

Thank you.

Now, this isn't your first debriefing for this incident. That's not unusual. Sometimes questions that should have been asked are not, or information that's given is shown as inaccurate or deceptive. Your story seems to hit a brick wall in your second trip to Cagliari station, where... you just don't remember anything.

I'll be frank, they told me they think you're lying. I think they're mistaken. I think they're afraid of what you may have seen, and I think you are, too. This is nothing to be ashamed of. When your brain encounters trauma, it shuts down and seals off access to the memory so it will never hurt you again.

If it was up to me, I would say, 'leave the poor sod alone.' We've got better things to do. But the thing is, is that we have hundreds of Shivan ships entering Capella. What you saw might give us a hint at what they're going to do or a way to beat them.

We need you to remember what you saw, but just asking your brain to unlock your memory isn't good enough. What I am going to do is ask you to recall what happened in the events leading to your second trip to Cagliari station. Now I know what happened already, but this is for your benefit.

Like picking a lock, we must slowly and carefully make our way through your memory. Ah, good, Lt. Black is here with your coffee. Please have a drink and tell us about your first trip to Cagliari Station.

Arpeggio

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Start vassago-02.fs2

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Command Briefing

COMMAND BRIEFING 1

At ease, pilots. If you haven't already heard, the Shivans are coming back from the dead. Or so says the rumor mill.

Your little incident at that graveyard certainly put Command into a tizzy. The big question on the table is if the science cruiser Thevenin did anything to wake the Shivans up. But that's not our problem right now.

Our problem is going to be finding the Shivans and destroying them. And boy, do we have our work cut out for us.

COMMAND BRIEFING 2

The Colossus is still in drydock from her recent battle with the Sathanas, and there's no chance she's coming out unless another Sathanas decides to rear its ugly head.

Command's got two fleets in the nebula and two more dispersed in the ex-NTF systems. So not too much left for us here other than what is already here. But we do have some forces coming in from Gamma Draconis so I think we've got a good chance at nailing these Shivans.

You 113th boys get the special job of helping the recon parties. Most of the other wings are being placed on standby near installations and convoys in case the Shivans attack. I can't quite tell if you're the lucky ones or not.

Mission Briefing

MISSION BRIEFING 1 The system grid has tracked a number of subspace disturbances out in the Rossini sector. Initial analysis indicates ships exiting subspace. The largest disturbance might have come from a destroyer. This is the best lead we've got right now.

They jumped out in close proximity to an under construction installation, the Cagliari. The station was abandoned around 18 months ago, on the onset of the NTF Rebellion

MISSION BRIEFING 2

Our long range scans of the installation are being disrupted by something in the area. It's most likely a Shivan jamming field. Our telescopes have identified most of the Shivan force present, however it is unlikely any of those ships are emitting the jamming field. Command wants a closer look at the station and what could be emitting the field.

MISSION BRIEFING 3

We're going to send the GTA Argus, a Charybdis-class AWACS cruiser rigged especially for ECCM to the station. Accompanying the Argus will be the GTC Cretheus, a prototype Cretheus-class anti-fighter cruiser. The Cretheus has just entered limited service and is performing admirably. Command wants to gauge its effectiveness on Shivan fighters.

MISSION BRIEFING 4

The Cretheus is strictly an anti fighter platform. It carries no anti-capital weaponry, it must rely on other craft when faced with even cruisers. It is highly likely the Shivans will be sending capital ships to engage. Alpha wing will be doing double duty here, first as additional escort to the Argus and to perform any surgical strikes on any hostiles that pose a threat to the Cretheus and Argus.

MISSION BRIEFING 5

The flight plan will consist of five locations that you will jump to. Command doesn't want a prolonged battle or to provoke the Shivans. This is their turf right now. If one location gets too hot, you will jump to the next, hopefully keeping one step ahead of them.

Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

I still don't understand the report about the Shivans in the base. They're destroyers, not pirates... Was there another report about that, Lt. Black? Find it for me, will you? In any case, a splendid tale. Managed to protect your escorts long enough to get a scan and come home. Amazing that both ships were able to survive and come home. I hear the captains want to take you out to drinks.

Now there's inaccuracies and some contradictions when compared to the reports filed, but like I said before, that's not quite the point here. This is about helping yourself.

I think we've made a good start. Now tell us about the Orpheus...

DEBRIEFING 2

I still don't understand the report about the Shivans in the base. They're destroyers, not pirates... Was there another report about that, Mr. Black? Find it for me, will you? In any case, a nice tale. Managed to protect your escorts long enough to get a scan and come home. A shame about the Cretheus though... Hmm?

Well, I suppose I'll have to buy it. Now there's inaccuracies and some contradictions when compared to the reports filed, but like I said before, that's not quite the point here. This is about helping yourself.

I think we've made a good start. Now tell us about the Orpheus...

DEBRIEFING 3

I don't know. I think you might not be remembering this right... Forgive my suspicions but according to this report, written by you, the mission was a little longer than that.

Why it even goes into detail how you were able to disable the beam cannons before the Shivans could damage any ships. Do you always embelish your reports like this?

DEBRIEFING 4

What a sad story. The Argus, one of the ships you were assigned to escort, was destroyed. Given your description of the battle, I might even believe it. But I don't think you're remembering this correctly.

Weren't you able to disable the beams on the Shivan cruisers fast enough? Maybe you should try retelling this again.

DEBRIEFING 5

What a sad story. Both ships you were assigned to escort were destroyed. Given your description of the battle, I might even believe it. But I don't think you're remembering this correctly.

Weren't you able to disable the beams on the Shivan cruisers fast enough? Maybe you should try retelling this again.

DEBRIEFING 6

So you just left the field of engagement... That's your story?

I'm sorry bucko, but I just don't believe you at all. If you did really get up and leave I think you would be in front of a court-martial judge.

Should we try this again? Let's start again.

DEBRIEFING 7

You died? Ah, I love a good joke, don't you Lt. Black? Yes of course he does.

Why don't we try this again...

Ossia

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Start vassago-03.fs2

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Command Briefing

COMMAND BRIEFING 1

The reports are in. It wasn't us that woke those Shivans up. The data streaming from the Thevenin shows no high power scans were being done and their EVA crew hadn't even left the ship.

So what woke the Shivans up? Best guess right now is Cagliari station itself. The Argus' scans showed the jamming field was coming from Cagliari, but we don't think its actually a jamming field. It's more like a flare of EM and subspace activity, but the effect is still the same to us. We can't see in from far away.

The enhanced sensors from a Charybdis or a Setekh are just about the only ways we can get a clear view in the area, and even then the Shivans just seem to be able to jump in on any vector. Not only that but the Shivans are repairing their ships and possibly even building more. A frontal assault would be costly, so Command's looking into other areas. First things first, disabling that field jamming our sensors.

COMMAND BRIEFING 2

While you hot shots were out dancing with the Shivans, Intel was digging up information about Cagliari station and why it was just abandoned right before the rebellion started.

Construction was being done by Strauss Construction, what we now know was a front for the Neo Terran Front. It looks like it was going to be a base for the NTF but they abandoned it when it became obvious they weren't going to have a hold in Capella. So they just left it.

The civilian transport manifests to and from the unfinished installation show a name that pops up quite often. Doctor Serge Rachmann. He was a researcher at Vega University, specializing in subspace communications. He joined the NTF, developing hardware to bust through our jammers.

COMMAND BRIEFING 3

Something's on that station and Rachmann is most likely connected to it.

Now I hope you all bought your lottery tickets, because here's where it gets good.

Intelligence last put Dr. Rachmann on the NTC Orpheus in Polaris. The Orpheus was seen entering Capella, but no records show she escaped our blockades or was destroyed. It's possible that they slipped out during the Sathanas' attack, but we've just received information that shows they're still in the system.

Mission Briefing

MISSION BRIEFING 1

We just received a weak, coded distress signal on a GTVA frequency. It appears to be coming from just outside a planetary ring over Dalton's Giant. The messages is as follows:

MISSION BRIEFING 2

This is Capt--- Silbelius of the Orpheus. My ship has been co-------red by a pirate gro---. We're st---, can't escape, we're ---- ---o this stati--. -- require imm------- assistance. Any ships---

MISSION BRIEFING 3

Shivans flock to a station that was frequented by Dr. Rachmann, and the last ship he was seen on just so happens to appear in pirate custody one day later. This seems like a mighty large coincidence... Who knows what's really going on here.

MISSION BRIEFING 4

But protocol is protocol. Intelligence was able to contact the captain to determine the nature of this housecall. Apparently he tried asking the pirates for help, but when he met with them they turned on him and took over his ship.

They've taken about half the crew, including Dr. Rachmann, to another ship, the PFr Thunderhorse.

MISSION BRIEFING 5

Captain Sibelius has agreed to surrender if we can rescue him and his crew. Alpha wing will go in ahead to clear the area of any fighter threat and create a distraction. That should give the captain the chance to retake his ship and commandeer a transport to capture the Thunderhorse. We recommend that you carry the Akheton SDG in case you need to disable it. Your flight plan will take you through the planetary ring to mask your approach.

MISSION BRIEFING 6

The pirate threat may be larger than usual. NTF pilots have been going AWOL, and either joining or selling their fighters to pirates for large sums of money in a last bid to escape from the GTVA. You can expect Hercules-class fighters and other older fighters. It is also likely you will engage transports and smaller sized capital ships. It is likely the pirates will retreat if you damage their ships enough. They can't make any profit if they're dead.

MISSION BRIEFING 7

After the area is clear of fighters, Beta wing will be standing by to assist. The GTT Amphion and the GTT Echion will be sent to board and secure any objectives.

Good luck boys.

Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

I think the only thing that would be at fault was underestimating the Orpheus' desire to escape. Insane Shivan plan or not. But that is neither here nor there.

I like to think we are well on our way to discovering the secret you hold in your brain. Now why don't you tell us about- Oh. I'm afraid our time here is up for the day. We will return tomorrow at 0800, maybe we'll be able to finish your recollection by then.

Good night, Commander. Sweet dreams.

DEBRIEFING 2

We were able to recover the Avenger prototype. Good job. McCarthy has been apprehended and will go to trial soon.

DEBRIEFING 3

Well, you had me until the Thunderhorse escaped. At which Sibelius was somehow able to get his command crew onto the transport so quickly and dash off and never be seen again.

That isn't what happened, was it? The Harlequin didn't escape, you disabled her. This is all in the report you, yourself, wrote.

Let's start again

DEBRIEFING 4

Perhaps you haven't remembered something correctly... Maybe you are remembering something out of sequence? Its common for recalling one thought to spawn several others. I think that's what happened here.

The Harlequin wasn't destroyed here, was it? No... Why don't we try this one from the beginning, all right?

DEBRIEFING 5

Ah! Commendable. You followed your orders down to the T and achieved your mission objectives. Shame about the Thunderhorse, hmm? No, this won't work...

The innocent lie because they don't want to be blamed for something they didn't do, and the guilty lie because they don't have any other choice.

We don't blame you for what the Orpheus did. There was nothing you could've done. Please don't try to impress me with your wild tales, I already know the truth. Think of it like this, don't tell the story to me, tell it to yourself. Why

would you lie to yourself? It's not going to get you anywhere.

Why don't we start again?

DEBRIEFING 6

I don't mean to push, but that's not at all what happened.

Now think of it like this, don't tell the story to me, tell it to yourself. Why would you lie to yourself? It's not going to get you anywhere.

Why don't we start again?

DEBRIEFING 7

Death isn't really something that someone just... gets over. Maybe this whole experience has made you a bit unstable but you are alive and well.

Lets take a five minute break and then we can start again.

Intermezzo

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Start vassago-04.fs2

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Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

Good morning, Commander. I hope you slept well. Coffee? Lieutenant, get our friend something nice to drink.Now if I recall correctly, we left off after the Orpheus had jumped out from the pirate installation and the GTVA had lost total contact with it.This brings us to the Mastaba wouldn't it? Tell us about that.

Reprise

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Start vassago-05.fs2

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Mission Briefing

MISSION BRIEFING 1

While responding to a Shivan attack on a cargo depot, the GVC Mastaba reported that she fell under attack by an Aeolus-class cruiser, the NTC Orpheus. Communications was lost shortly after. You and your wing are being scrambled to aid the Mastaba, but we fear it may be too late.

MISSION BRIEFING 2

Preliminary orders are still to capture the Orpheus and Dr. Rachmann. Delta wing is being armed with anti-subsystem weaponry and will join you as soon as their craft are ready. Your fighters are on standby, no time to change loadouts. Good luck.

Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

Yes, a fine story of heroism and more unanswered questions. But that's okay, that's what this is all about, isn't it?In any case, I think we're getting there. We're steadily approaching the event that is important to us. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves... The Carthage and the Vassago. Tell us what happened between those two.

DEBRIEFING 2

No, no, no. That wasn't quite it. The Shivans may have done something that looked like they were going to board the Orpheus, but who knows what the Shivans were really going to do. Let's start again.

DEBRIEFING 3

No. I do not like being toyed with. I know your type, you don't leave a mission unfinished. Start again.

DEBRIEFING 4

How unfortunate that would've been. But that's not what really happened. I've met with some of the Orpheus' crew so why don't we just cut out these gross inaccuracies and we'll start again.

DEBRIEFING 5

And then you got better, right? I must say medical science has come a long way from the days of trepanning and blood letting to come to the point of bringing back dismembered pilots back to life.The miracles of modern science.Why don't we start again.

Con Fuoco

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Start vassago-06.fs2

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Command Briefing

COMMAND BRIEFING 1

The Hyksos has finished taking on the survivors from the Orpheus. Engineers say that ship was lucky to have held together that long. The Hyksos will remain in the Orpheus' safe zone until we're ready to proceed.Doctor Rachmann has been quite forthcoming about the events leading up to now. We have prepared the following excerpts of his interrogation to help with some background for your next mission. The following is classifed level Rho.

COMMAND BRIEFING 2

Agent: So you were stuck in Capella.

Rachmann: Yes. We had heard the Colossus was at the Knossos. The captain didn't really want to go on a suicide run, so we began hiding in an asteroid belt. We were going to wait until things quieted down. Well, they didn't.

Agent: The Sathanas engagement.

Rachmann: Yes. However it would divide your attention long enough for us to make a get away. We decided to head to Cagliari station, we knew there were transports left there. And I knew that some of my work was still there. If anything I could continue my research, even in exile.

COMMAND BRIEFING 3

Agent: So just what was your work?

Rachmann: Bosch had come to me, enquiring about my research into subspace communications. He knew that I had done research into Shivan communication as well. He offered me archives from the GTI and more if I would construct him a transceiver that would theorically be able to communicate both ways with the Shivans.

Agent: ETAK?

Rachmann: Only a component of it. Alone it can't do much other than make noise. There was so much more to ETAK than just machines.

COMMAND BRIEFING 4

Agent: So you went back to Cagliari station for your transceiver?

Rachmann: Yes. When we arrived, it was as dead as the day we left it. I took a crew with me to retrieve my hardware and stow in on a transport. But my curiosity got the best of me. The transciever was still there. It was easier just to build a new one on the Iceni. I had wanted... wanted to see for sure if my work was a success.

Agent: And?

Rachmann: More than I could have possibly imagined. I turned it on and the transceiver spiked... I still can't fathom what actually happened. Something... came out of it, or we were drawn into it. I saw a white light, coming from everywhere. I could feel them.

Agent: Who? The Shivans?

Rachmann: Perhaps. The spike lasted for less than a second, but everyone near the transceiver went comatose. At that point the Shivans began to arrive and a team from the Orpheus came down to rescue us and leave everything else behind.

COMMAND BRIEFING 5

Agent: Who was affected by this... spike?

Rachmann: Myself, the captain and team sent down to retrieve my equipment. Thirty or so people. We could feel the Shivans, and the Shivans could feel us. No matter where we jumped, the Shivans were there 5 minutes later. I had calculated the Res/Int pattern and found an area where we couldn't feel the Shivans.

Agent: Why were the Shivans after you?

Rachmann: Until a few hours ago, I thought they were trying to kill us. It was like we were holding flares on an open field at night. We were easy targets. But now... they sent transports to capture us. Maybe... they don't know what we are... And they want to find out.

EXCERPT ENDS

Mission Briefing

MISSION BRIEFING 1

Given what Dr. Rachmann has told us, we have come up with a plan to destroy the Vassago and its fleet in one fell swoop. To test Rachmann's theory, the Hyksos, carrying the surviving crew, will jump within proximity to Cagliari Station to attract the Vassago's attention.

MISSION BRIEFING 2

The Hyksos will then jump to several remote locations around the system. If the Vassago or its ships trail the corvette consistently, we will proceed with phase two.

MISSION BRIEFING 3

Phase two will consist of luring the Shivans into a marked engagement zone. This engagement zone will be directly within the firing arcs of eight specially modified Mjlonir remote beam cannons situated 50 kilometers away. The GTD Carthage will be with the Mjlonirs to provide targeting information and protection.

MISSION BRIEFING 4

Shivan ECM makes it hard to acquire a lock on, especially from 50 kilometers away. Alpha wing will be in the engagement zone armed with TAG missiles to light up the Shivan capital ships. Alpha will fly Pegasus-class stealth fighters to aid their survival. The rest of the wings will hold back with the Carthage to protect the firing range.

MISSION BRIEFING 5

The Mjlonirs require 30 seconds between shots to cool down. All the cannons will be linked together, so prioritize your targets. It will be just you and the Hyksos in the engagement zone. We can't risk any crossfire damage, putting the

Hyksos in there is a big enough risk in itself.Also keep in mind that whenever you fire weapons, the Shivans may be able to get a momentary target lock on you. Proximity may also compromise your stealth. The Pegasus is highly manuverable so use that shining attribute to avoid fire.

MISSION BRIEFING 6

Just remember, you're not in this to dogfight. Hit them hard and hit them fast. It won't take long for the Shivans to realize this is an ambush. Given their ability to quickly jump in and out of subspace, they may retreat or even engage the Carthage and the Mjlonirs.Good luck pilots.

Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

And so fell the Vassago. But the story doesn't end there, does it?We at last come to your second journey to Cagliari station. The whole reason you are still here and that I am still talking to you.Tell us, what happened at Cagliari station?

DEBRIEFING 2

What a preposterous story. You were quicker than that, weren't you? Weren't you TAGing those Shivan ships as soon as they jumped in? No, you're just going to have to start over.

DEBRIEFING 3

hings may have been close, we didn't lose did we? Do you know what ship we're on right now? Something tells me you don't.You were quicker than that weren't you? Weren't you TAGing those Shivan ships as soon as they jumped in?

No, you're just going to have to start over.

DEBRIEFING 4

What a preposterous story. You were quicker than that weren't you? Weren't you TAGing those Shivan ships as soon as they jumped in? No, you're just going to have to start over.

DEBRIEFING 5

Oh, what a shame. And the story was getting so good! I suppose we'll have to have a funeral and wake for you. The flags will be at half mast for years because of your... death.Start again.

DEBRIEFING 6

You ran away? Are these the actions of this proud generation of GTVA pilots? What ever happened to beating the odds, overcoming superior firepower and numbers, putting your own life on the line for hundreds if not thousands?Are you sure you wouldn't have been better as an NTF pilot? Some pirate dreck?Or perhaps, you would like to revise your little story...

Crescendo

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Start vassago-07.fs2

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Command Briefing

COMMAND BRIEFING 1

The Vassago and its fleet may be dead, but its legacy remains with Cagliari station. The Shivans are building new ships and installations there. They're using the station itself as a raw material for their constructions.The Shivans are using an agent called Black Ash. Black Ash consists of billions of nanomachines that eat away at everything, leaving behind a dark black compound the Shivans use to create just about anything. The countermeasure is quite simple- an intense enough alternating current is enough to repel it. However, due to the station being inactive, the Black Ash has quickly spread throughout the structure.

COMMAND BRIEFING 2

The higher ups would love to throw in a Meson bomb or two to vaporize everything in the area, there but there's still something of value there. GTVA Command wants to get their mitts on Rachmann's transceiver. The Black Ash won't infest areas of the station with power, so we believe the transmitter and surrounding area to be intact.Any frontal assault risks harming the station and damaging the equipment. So, we're going to do this the hard way.A while back we captured an Azrael transport, the ST Focalor. Our boys ripped out the insides and made it more... Terran comfortable.The Focalor is going to carry a team to the station and extract what they can of the transceiver. Meanwhile you four get the mission of a life time. What I'm about to play is background for your mission.

COMMAND BRIEFING 3

EXCERPT BEGINS3:48:33

Agent: Just what was your end plan?

Rachmann: We needed to destroy the transceiver on Cagliari station. But we basically missed that chance after the Shivans took hold of it. I had another idea. Shivans... they don't quite see things like we do. They are much more sensitive to subspace activity than EM activity. My idea was to take a Shivan subspace drive and rig it so we would... feel Shivan from a distance.With that we could get close enough to the station, and send a crew... an escape pod or something. It couldn't have a subspace drive on it or give off too much energy. They would go to the station and sabotage the reactor, destroying the transceiver and hopefully everything around it too.

EXCERPT ENDS

Mission Briefing

MISSION BRIEFING 1

I hope you've all read between the lines on that one. Alpha team will be outfitted in specially made Extra Vehicular Strike Platforms, yes, space suits, and proceed to sabotage various objectives around the station. The suits will have waypoint paths programmed into them so you won't get lost. The Focalor has had airlocks installed so you will launch and be retrieved by her.

MISSION BRIEFING 2

So here's how it'll work. Each one of you will have an objective. Splitting up may be a bad idea here, but we need to cover as much as we can in the shortest amount of time. Alpha 3 will plant charges on container groupings, Alpha 4 will rig an installation that appears to be a defense platform, while Alpha 2 goes for a cruiser that seems to be under construction.

MISSION BRIEFING 3

Alpha 1 gets the top job. The construction of the station was rushed in many areas. The reactor was installed in a way that would make a safety inspector flee the system. Alpha 1 will proceed to an exposed reactor access panel and upload a virus cooked up by our electronic warfare guys. The virus will shut down every safeguard and drive the reactor into overload. At that point, everyone should be on their way out. With extreme haste, hopefully.

MISSION BRIEFING 4

I can't say how the Shivans will react to your sneaking around. They might ignore you or decide to have you for lunch. We're arming you with the 33mm Bolt, a high explosive kinetic weapon, and the Subach HL-M, a smaller version of

everyone's favorite sidearm. The suit also has room for 10 Tempest missiles on outer mountings. Keep in mind these weapons are for self defense only. The energy these things will put out will alert the Shivans and send them right to

your position. Lock your master arms so you don't accidently fire.

MISSION BRIEFING 5

If you are discovered, get the hell back to the Focalor. There will be a small fleet of ships standing by to create the diversion you'll need to get out. If the rest of Alpha team has planted their charges, we'll blow them to try to distract or divide Shivan attention.

MISSION BRIEFING 6

I guess that's about it. Good luck guys, I know if anyone can pull this suicide mission off, its you four. If you weren't, you wouldn't be here.Now get out there and kick some Shivan ass.

Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

No. No. No. No. No. That won't do. That won't do at all. We're so close to the truth. Start again. This time with feeling.

Coda

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Start vassago-09.fs2

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Debriefing

DEBRIEFING 1

Well? Any luck?

No. We've done everything by the book and we've got nothing. He hasn't told us anything that we don't already know. The Shivan structure lights up and a flash of white, then he gets recovered by the transport. There's something in between, but I can't tell if this block is self-inflicted or if it was put there.Well, start again. Whatever is there can't stand forever.

That's what you said the last time. Just how many times are we going to do this?

As many times as it takes.

DEBRIEFING 2

Well, what do you think?

If what killed the Psamtik was just the first of a whole new armada, this would be cause for concern.

Compared to Capella going nova, I think that's just a bit mild.

I wouldn't go calling this gospel just yet. What our friend saw is what they wanted him to see. I'll inform Command to proceed with Operation Lion's Den. Perhaps they can confirm any Shivan fleet movements.

Still, there's something else. Something... incomplete. I can feel it.

If you think you need to go another round with him, feel free.

DEBRIEFING 3

What do we call this?

A whole new classified level, that's what.

Do you think any of it is true?

Hard to say. Our friend was shown what they wanted him to see. Who's to say if this was a threat, a warning, or a message?

And just what are we supposed to do about it?

I'll inform Command to proceed with Operation Lion's Den. Perhaps they can confirm any Shivan fleet movements. If they confirm the Sathanas armada, we're going to have to evacuate the whole system.

Not that, I mean-

Fear and terror are the best weapons anyone has. The Shivans have us outgunned in every way. There's nothing we can do.

DEBRIEFING 4

Hmm...What is it?

Did you notice he mentioned something about... spoons...?

I think you're hearing things.

Probably.

DEBRIEFING 5

Hmm...What is it?

Why did he keep mentioning finding spoons?

How the hell should I know?

It must mean something.... a clue or a...

Have you read the reports on what we put in that coffee? I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did.