Trial mission 2

Trial mission 2 takes place on the day of the Coalition's betrayal and is part of the Demo campaign.

Briefing
''Pilots, pay attention. At 0400 hours Zulu time, the Coalition struck on all fronts. Losses have been severe - as well as the First Fleet, we have lost both the French and Italian fleets. A state of war now exists between the Alliance and the Coalition.

''Before we lost contact with HQ at Base Kennedy, they ordered the remnants of the Alliance to regroup here, at Neptune's space just off Triton. The Coalition knows Triton is our last stronghold and Intelligence believes a Coalition strike force is already in the area. It has to be intercepted and destroyed. This should buy the remnants of our fleet enough time to regroup and resupply.

''You'll be working in conjunction with the Vampires, flying out of the ANS Bremen. The patrol zone has been split into two sectors: Vampires take care of one sector, while the Pumas and the Ronin take care of the other. If any wing gets a positive ID, then we all zero-in on the target. Gamma wing will be flying support to deal with their heavy hitters.

''Now, remember: We all have to stay focused. Failure is not an option. If we don't intercept and destroy the strike force, they'll be able to hit Triton before we get there.

''It'll be a good idea to stockpile on Jackhammers in your loadout. Chances are, you'll run into Scarab troop carries and Kurgen gunboats.

''OK. Load up your ships, ladies and gentlemen. The patrol points have been downloaded into your ships' computers. Good luck - and remember, we are the Alliance's only hope.

Recommended loadout

 * Coyote: Pack some afterburner and at least two Jackhammers or Screamer pods to deal with the Kurgens. Or opt for Bandits to fill out the slots against enemy fighters.

Walkthrough

 * Only hope. No pressure. You leave the Yamato as a large convoy of Nannies passes by. Klaus Steiner wishes you good luck and jumps out with the Bremen on his patrol. You jump out a bit later and immediately find a Coalition hunting pack, consisting of eight Sabers and one Kamov. They jump out. Tanner believes they are gunning for a large convoy consisting of three Luenenburg cargo carriers and a Prowler.
 * After you jump out to their coordinates, the Prowler captain requests identification and once it's given, agrees to help lay a trap. The Sabers soon jump in and engage the fighters. The Kamov arrives a little later and starts launching torpedoes at the convoy. As usual, ignore the fighters and focus on the torpedoes first. Once they're gone, wipe out the fighters.
 * As these are short-range fighters, Takamatsu, Steiner, and Tanner agree the hunting pack must be nearby. Following his gut feeling, Tanner leads the entire defensive patrol to an area filled with days-old jump signatures. You hit jackpot and find the strike force, consisting of two carriers (classes 2 and 3), three Kurgens, and two Scarab troop transports. The transports immediately jump ahead to get away, while Gamma makes a run at the class 3 carrier, to hit it before it can raise shields. They launch their torpedoes, but the Hades bombers are immediately blown out of the sky afterwards.
 * Then it's a matter of clearing the Kurgens and the fighters. The Kurgens hit hard, but can be taken out with Jackhammers/Screamers or first neutered by blowing off their three laser turrets. Once they are gone, you are ordered to take out the class 2 carrier's shield generator. The Yamato and Bremen jump in shortly afterwards, leading to a lopsided battle: The Coalition carrier is outnumbered and outgunned and is promptly destroyed by several torpedo salvos.
 * Finally, you cap the patrol off by finding the two troop transports and blasting the helpless ships apart (attack from below to avoid the turrets). Then return to the Yamato and land, ending the prologue.