Walkthrough: Mission 7

At the end of the last mission, two Rheinland agents—naval officers—already had tracked your group to Tobias's equipment shop on Leeds. (Tobias managed to get the two Rheinlanders out of the shop before Quintaine and the artifact were discovered.) Quintaine suggests a new hideout: the base of the mysterious Kress. Under the protection of Kress' forces, Quintaine can conduct further research on the artifact. Before launching to space, conduct any necessary ship repairs. You should also look through Tobias' wares for weapon upgrades, and purchase ammunition, nanobots, and shield batteries if you're running low. When you're ready, return to the Leeds launch pad and launch to space. Juni believes the best path out of Leeds space would be toward the Stokes Mining Station. You automatically activate cruise engines and proceed toward the appropriate trade lane. But as your group nears the trade lane, a couple of Rheinland fighters decloak. All exits out of this system are blocked! It's the two Rheinland agents that Tobias "escorted" out of his equipment shop. This is a short battle and one of the few in which your group outnumbers the enemy! Target the nearest Rheinland fighter and engage. Save your missiles and mines; you need only destroy one of the enemy fighters. After it's destroyed, the other ship cloaks and leaves.

The coast is clear—for now. Select the trade lane marked Planet Leeds to Stokes Mining Station. Dock with the trade lane and proceed at high velocity to the Stokes Mining Station. After reaching Stokes, locate the trade lane marked Stokes Mining Station to Tau-31 Jump Gate there's only one more stop before you're out of the Leeds system en route to Kress' base—but it's another ambush. The Rheinland officer who fled the fight back at Leeds has rendezvoused with another squad of Rheinland fighters.

Your group doesn't even make it past Stokes Mining Station before the Rheinlanders attack again. Target the nearest Rheinland fighter and engage. Once again, you should save your missiles and mines for the tougher battle that lies ahead. You need only destroy two of the four Rheinland fighters to force them to cloak and disengage. After the battle, Stokes Mining Station recommends that you land (numerous Rheinland ships have been reported throughout Leeds space), but Juni, flushed with the easy victory, proclaims that your group is going on to the Tau-31 Jump Gate. Once again, locate the trade lane marked Stokes Mining Station to Tau-31 Jump Gate. Dock with the trade lane and proceed to the final barrier between you and your escape from Bretonia. The Rheinlanders are attacking Glasgow Outpost.

These Rheinlanders are stubborn—or desperate. The surviving agent has fled to the safety of a naval cruiser, which is guarding the Tau-31 Jump Gate against your escape. Destroy all Rheinland forces! The Rheinland cruisers' turrets are powerful. It might be possible to destroy them with close strafing runs, but it's a difficult task that would likely result in serious damage to your ship. At the least, such a fight would force you to expend several shield batteries and nanobots (to administer on-the-fly repairs). Engage the nearest fighter instead. Use missiles to eliminate the fighters quickly.

Thankfully, an ally arrives shortly into the fight—it's Tobias, with some of his friends from Leeds. While Tobias and his escorts engage the cruiser, finish off the fighters. Once all Rheinland enemies are defeated, dock with the jump gate to the Tau-31 system and get out of Bretonia!

Upon reaching Tau-31, locate the trade lane marked Leeds Jump Gate to Holman Outpost. Dock with the trade lane and proceed to Holman. This is the middle of nowhere; Holman Outpost is the only base in the entire system. Locate the next trade lane, marked Holman Outpost to Tau-29 Jump Gate. Juni notes that it's strange that there are no ships around here—and furthermore, Holman Outpost isn't responding. It's another trap. You're not even surprised to find Rheinland ships blocking the trade lane. This time, though, you don't have to fight them; Tobias' friends valiantly engage the Rheinlanders while your group makes an escape to a nearby trade lane, which is under construction. Waypoint coordinates are uploaded to your Neural Net. Select the waypoint from your Contact List and activate cruise engines (or use the Go To maneuver). Fly toward the waypoint, which is marked DSE Trade Lane Ring. Dock with the trade lane and continue until something disrupts the trade lane.

The ubiquitous Rheinlanders have stationed gunboats in the trade lane. Tobias orders you to remain behind and help him battle the gunboats while Juni escorts Quintaine and Sinclair to the Tau-29 jump hole. It's not necessary to destroy the gunboats. In fact, don't expend missiles in the fight. Use your guns to engage the gunboats until Tobias reports that Quintaine and Sinclair have made it safely to the Tau-29 jump hole.

When Quintaine and Sinclair reach the jump hole, ignore the remaining gunboats and select the waypoint. Activate cruise engines to rendezvous with Juni, Quintaine, and Sinclair near the Tau-29 jump hole. Select the jump hole and use the Dock maneuver to enter the Tau-29 system.

Quintaine must meet a contact on Shinkaku Station for information regarding the location of Kress' base. Select the waypoint in your Contact List and use the Go To maneuver to activate cruise engines and proceed quickly to Shinkaku Station. Once within range, dock with Shinkaku Station. While Quintaine gathers his information, make repairs to your ship and visit the equipment dealer to restock ammunition and even upgrade your arsenal. The smart money is on a climactic battle at the end of this mission. Stock your ship with the most powerful missiles available, and ideally, fit your ship with a torpedo launcher.

After conducting your business on Shinkaku Station, return to the pad and launch to space. Tobias leaves your group at this point. Quintaine reports that the bartender on Shinkaku Station has provided the coordinates to Kress' base. He uploads the coordinates into your ship's Neural Net. Select the waypoint from your Contact List and use the Go To maneuver to proceed at cruise speed. Quintaine also notes that his bartender contact added a postscript to his message: Rheinland ships are all over the area. The route to Kress' base includes a methane field, which will provide cover from sensors, but the field only provides cover for half of the way. The rest is open space. And it's in that open space that a Rheinland fleet blocks the way to Kress' base.

This is a desperate fight against tough Rheinland fighters and capital ships. You can be thankful that one of Kress' top pilots, Razor-One (escorted by a wing of his elite fliers), enters the fray. Target the nearest Rheinland fighter and engage. Don't maneuver near the battleship or even the smaller cruisers or gunships. Try to eliminate the more maneuverable fighters before you engage the capital ships. If you don't, the fighters will pursue during your strafing runs on the larger ships, and you'll take heavy damage. Use missiles to crush the Rheinland fighters—but save some explosives for the remainder of the fleet. If you've equipped your vessel with a torpedo launcher, use it on the Rheinland battleship. You must destroy all Rheinland targets before receiving your next objective.

Select the waypoint in your Contact List and proceed at cruise velocity toward the Tau-23 jump hole. Once within range, dock with the jump hole and enter the next system. Continue to the next waypoint and dock with Cali Base to complete the objective. After a tense introduction, Colonel Kress offers your group safe sanctuary. Kress, who knows a bit about the alien artifact, suggests acquiring the Proteus Tome. You must visit one of his agents, Lord Hakkera, who can arrange the Tome's "liberation."

You'll have a safe trip from Kress' base to Planet Kyushu in Kusari space, but it's still wise to repair your ship and replenish your supply of ammunition and equipment. When ready, launch to space and meet up with Razor-One.

Razor-One uploads waypoint coordinates into your Neural Net—it's a quick route into the Kusari system. Select the waypoint and use cruise engines to proceed. Razor-One escorts you to the jump hole to Kyushu but leaves you and Juni alone to enter Kusari space.

Dock with the jump hole and enter the Kyushu system. Continue to the waypoint marked Tau-29 Jump Gate to Tsushima Depot—it's a trade lane. Once you're within range, dock with the trade lane and reach Tsushima Depot. Select the next trade lane, marked Tsushima Depot to Planet Kyushu. Dock with Planet Kyushu and enter the bar to meet Lord Hakkera. Unfortunately, he's not much help regarding the Proteus Tome. Juni suggests getting some work until she can dig up more information regarding the Tome and its whereabouts.