The Place of Chariots
| Previous Mission
|
Campaign Walkthrough | Next Mission
|
ACT 1, MISSION 2
Fighter squadron: 53rd Hammerheads
Description: The 53rd are ordered to destroy an NTF depot hidden in the Deneb asteroid belt.
Background
Command has received reconnaissance information about a Neo-Terran Front cargo depot, hidden in the Deneb asteroid belt, which may hold strategically valuable material. Destroying this depot should put a dent in the NTF's offensive and research capabilities, and the 53rd Hammerheads have been given the job of doing so.
Walkthrough
You cannot choose your ship, nor can you modify the loadout of your wingmen, in this mission.
Follow Alpha 2's directives; attack the enemy fighters and let Beta wing move in and scan the cargo containers. The GTF Loki is a far more maneuverable opponent than the boxy GTF Hercules, and faster as well. Fortunately, they are not as well-armed or as heavily-armored as the latter. Work together with the rest of your wing. Team up on targets, and watch out for NTF fighters trying to come around on your tail.
After all the NTF fighters have been destroyed, clean up anything else that Beta wing has not already handled. There are a few sentry guns and freighters. Note that sentry gun fire can occasionally pierce your shields, but the Myrmidon is more than capable of taking whatever damage they can throw at it. Destroy them with your guns, or even collide with them at full speed if they are going critical.
Once the depot area is clear of enemy contacts, Command will instruct you to investigate an unknown object 3000 meters from your position. Follow Command's directive and head towards the faint, flashing radar contact.
This will be revealed to be an NTF installation. As soon as your sensors are able to target it, Command announces that they are scrambling bomber wings, and order you to destroy the installation. As the Allied Medusa bombers appear, so do rebel Lokis. Command immediately orders you to engage the fighters so that Delta wing can bombard the installation. As you engage the fighters, Admiral Bosch orders all Allied fighters to stop attacking the installation. Command tells you to disregard the transmission. A short negotiation begins in which Bosch barters the withdrawal of his troops from Deneb for his safety. Command, however, reiterates their order to destroy the installation.
Before it can be destroyed however, the installation breaks apart to reveal a warship of unknown class. Despite Command's hasty directive, you have absolutely zero chance of disabling or destroying this ship before it flees into subspace, so don't feel too bad. Once the warship is gone, clear up any remaining fighters, then jump back to base.
Tips
- There is a bonus objective in this mission. Destroy all the cargo containers before you return to base.
Notes
- The cargo pods are scannable by your ship if you are facing them from a distance of no further than 150 meters. However, their contents are revealed as "Unable to scan".
- While highly unlikely, this mission cannot be finished if you are facing in the direction of the NTF Installation before Command instructs you to locate it. This is caused by a scripted event in the mission file that triggers the appearance of the installation only if you are not facing it before it appears.
Total number of forces
| Forces involved | |
| Belligerents | |
| Ships | |
|
|
| Strikecraft | |
|
|
| Casualties | |
|
|
Technical information
| File name: | SM1-02.fs2 |
| File size: | 70.3 KB |
| Author: | Brad Johnson |
| Total number of objects: | 39 (+5 waypoints) |
| Total number of wings: | 8 |
| Number of mission events: | 70 |
| Number of messages: | 36 |
| Event music: | 2: Exodus |
| Briefing music: | Brief2 |
