Surrender, Belisarius!
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ACT 1, MISSION 1
Fighter squadron: 53rd Hammerheads
Description: The 53rd Hammerheads are deployed to defend a convoy of Vasudan transports escaping Cygnus Prime.
Background
The GTVA is evacuating Cygnus Prime, a planet in the Deneb system. Vasudan refugees are leaving the planet in transports. The GTD Aquitaine has kept the Hammerheads on standby until the escort fighter wing of one of these convoys requested for reinforcements. Alpha wing of the 53rd is sent in to assist this convoy. However, because the transports in question do not have jump drives, they must be protected by the remnants of its escort and Alpha wing until a recovery ship arrives.
Walkthrough
You may not choose your ship or modify the loadout of your wingman for this mission.
This is an easy mission, quite good as a warm-up to the game. You have to defend a convoy of Vasudan transports, designated Iota wing.
You jump in a short distance in front of and above the convoy, with your sole wingman, Alpha 2, hailing the convoy. The convoy's escort leader, Epsilon 1, reports that three transports have been lost to attacks by the Neo-Terran Front, and the remaining (two) Satis-class freighters are moderately damaged. Both transports will show up on your list as Iota 1 and Iota 2.
The NTF will launch sporadic attacks on the convoy, almost always in a wing of three Hercules-class fighters. The hull strength of the Satis, as well as the assistance of your wingman and Epsilon wing and the window of time between attacks, makes this mission a good one to practice the dogfighting tactics covered in the Training Simulator Modules. Use it to learn how to fire the Rockeye heat-seeking missile and Tempest dumbfire missile if you have them loaded in your missile banks.
You can afford to lose one Vasudan transport. However, it is best to keep both ships alive. As compared to later missions such as Exodus, this is easy to achieve. Just fire continually and accurately, and both transports will survive. Once Iota reaches their destination waypoint, Command announces that the Psamtik, a Hatshepsut-class destroyer, will jump in momentarily, which it does.
As the Psamtik slows to a gradual stop, Command informs all ships that the NTCv Belisarius, a Deimos-class corvette, has run the Allied blockade at the Sirius-Deneb jump node, and was about to jump in near the Psamtik's location. The Psamtik acknowledges the transmission and prepares to intercept the corvette.
Just moments later, the Belisarius warps in and stops with its broadside facing the Psamtik. The Psamtik's bridge orders the beam cannons to be warmed up while they order the Belisarius to surrender. The Belisarius refuses, however, so the Psamtik opens fire with one of its main beam cannons, destroying the Terran corvette.
As the Belisarius explodes into a debris field, the Psamtik deploys fighter wings and announces the relief of your escort. You will then be ordered to return to base.
Notes
- FreeSpace 2's scoring system automatically excludes the damage done by beams when determining who killed what. If you fly up to the Belisarius, preferably as soon as it jumps in, and hit it at least once before the Psamtik destroys it with its main gun, the credit for that kill will go to you, not the destroyer. This quirk in FreeSpace 2 has been carried over into FS2_Open, and applies for every mission that you play in the game, even mods and custom missions. Be warned, however, that the Belisarius has strong anti-fighter defenses, even though its beams are neutered and will not open fire on you.
- For this mission, you can linger behind, after Command orders you to return to base, and oversee the transfer of crew from Iotas 1 and 2 to the Psamtik. As Iota 1 moves in to dock with the Psamtik, Command will repeat their order for you to return to base, then be reduced to asking you if your jump drive has a problem. Ignore Command; your subspace drive works so long as your Nav and Engines subsystems are above 30%. Iota 1 will dock with the Psamtik, transfer its crew, then undock and fly away, after which Iota 2 will fly in and do exactly the same. Once both transports have transferred their crew and cleared the Psamtik, Command orders the Psamtik to Alpha Centauri. The Psamtik will then order its fighter wings, initially deployed to relieve you of escort, to return to the destroyer. Once Zeta and Theta wings have entered the Psamtik through its two fighterbays, the Psamtik departs, leaving you with the remnants of the convoy before the Psamtik jumped in. You can then return to base, as nothing else happens from that point onward.
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