Onslaught

Background

Following the success and unfortunate loss of the Meson Cannon in the previous mission, GTVA assets have tried to take on the SD Nyarlathotep and the rest of the Shivan battle group in a direct engagement, but the GTVA has suffered massive losses, rounding to at most four capital ships and the entire fighter escort. The Shivans have not suffered even one major casualty.

While plans to cover the main GTVA battle group's retreat are set in motion, Alpha and Beta wings have to attend to another serious matter thirty kilometers from the main engagement: The GTFF Cypher has a burned out jump drive, and the ship suffered a hull breach that killed several technicians and engineers for the repair process.

The mission is to protect the Cypher until the GTT Minos docks with it, makes the repairs, and evacuate the area safely.

Walkthrough

• Available ships: Hercules Mark Two, Ares, Erinyes, Myrmidon, Perseus, Serapis.
• Available weapons: HL-7, SDG, Morning Star, Prometheus R/S, UD-8 Kayser, Maxim, Lamprey. Rockeye, Tempest, Harpoon, Hornet, Tornado, Trebuchet, Infyrno, Stiletto II.

You have five objectives: Disable or destroy the Zhar and Dhole before they get in range of the Cypher (1 and 2), defend the Minos and Cypher and make sure they safely depart (3, 4, and 5). The secondary objective is to destroy all fighters and bombers in the area.

Alpha and Beta wings are fully customizable, so pick whatever config you can that supports long, protracted, defensive firefights. This can be your ten minutes of hell. Only Alpha 2 and 3 are invincible, for plot reasons. You are recommended to load your personal entire secondary banks with Trebuchets. (If you choose to fly the GTF Ares, place Trebuchets in one bank, and place Harpoons or Tornadoes in the other.)

Alpha Wing will start four kilometers behind the Cypher. Then Beta Wing will arrive. Let Beta defend the Cypher, and Alpha to engage the enemy. Your first priority is to disable or destroy the two capital ships before they get within three kilometers of the Cypher. This can be all down to luck, as if you want to disable the engines alone, two or three Trebuchet missiles with a few gun runs can do the trick, however, you need to be crazy evasive to avoid getting beamed to death. If you want to destroy them, Maxim Cannons and Tornado missiles can do the trick, but disarm the forward beams first (the Cypher cannot return fire against the capital ships).

When the Zhar and Dhole are taken care of, the next priority is to destroy all bombers. Tell all fighters to defend the Cypher. Prioritize the Seraphim bombers first! They launch Helios warheads, and they are a lot more deadly than the Nahema and Tauvri groups with their Cyclops torpedoes. The next few minutes will be chaos all over, dealing with massed Cyclops torpedoes, fighters launching missiles all over the place, just do whatever you can to survive and make sure the Cypher lives.

When all of that hell is done, wait for the Cypher and Minos to take off, and you will be given clearance to return.

Notes

• Beta 1, despite the fighter you assign him, will have a Vasudan portrait. This is mainly because the Beta default fighter is a Serapis (you are recommended to change Beta to something sturdier, such as the Erinyes or Perseus).