Balance of Power Plot Walkthrough (Page 2 of 4)

Written by Spike

Making Friends

Captain Matt Roberts wants to send you on a covert infiltration of Terran space to swipe their technology out from under their noses. I fell off my chair after reading this. "Don't get caught", they tell you. Don't get f*****g caught? Have you seen what a full broadside of PSP fire from an Osaka does to a Hyperion?

Now you understand why I told you that our Terran assets are going to be safe. If we get this covert operation wrong, they won't!

We are to rendezvous with a contact, Agent Alexander Evans, on the Orbital Patrol Base in Pluto sector. He'll tell us how we're going to pull a fast one with the Terrans.

Evans informs us that we need to talk to a fellow named Stephen Torres of a Terran faction named Dark Space. He's got himself involved with Pirates who have a base beyond the Oort Cloud. Worse news; we're not actually going after the Terrans; we're specifically going after the ATF. It's going to be a broadside from a Tyr that we're facing. I'm keeping my Boreas on standby, I have a feeling that we're going to need it. Along with the rest of the Argon fleet. And probably the Boron fleet as well. And any other fleets that we can beg or blackmail into what seems like an utter suicide mission. Why do I do this? Why???

Well, at least Torres doesn't ask for much. Except 500 Terran MREs. Either he's a fat pie, or he's feeding an army. This shouldn't be too hard to cobble together. But I've got visions of this turning into a new HUB plot... the nightmares will begin shortly. You just fly within a few km of his ship with the goods in your cargo hold in order to transfer them.

Fortunately the 500 MREs only take 1000 cargo units. To deliver them you just fly up to his ship with the goods in your hold. Problem is, he wants 1000 units of Water next. That's going to take a bit more. He's probably a fat pie but he's definitely feeding an army. Call in a freighter to do the rounds of the local Water Purification Plants and collect together what you need. After the Water comes 250 Hull Plating. That must be for the transport ships that'll transport the army to wherever it's going. I hope, because it means less fighting for me. On the other hand, it means fighting.

After the Hull Plating is delivered, that's it. You can pause for a break from the plot here because it won't continue until you return and ask Torres for the next mission. Be in a warship when you do.

Our next job is to help free some Dark Space operatives stuck in the bilge of a prison transport. Specifically; we've got to shadow it, and then on the signal we dive in and protect the transport from any attacking fighters. Be prepared.

The transport is in Oort Cloud and heading for the outer Solar System. When you fly into Oort Cloud it'll be coming straight at you. Dodge it as it passes and enters the gate and shadow it as you would a follow target mission. Remember the power of shift+F; the match velocity button. Useful. Try to stay about 12km behind.

I got the signal to say that the captives were staging their coup half-way across the first Unknown Sector. Going full throttle and diving in I found a Claymore and four Rapiers go red and start shooting the transport. Since it's mission-critical, it seems to be indestructible, so you've got time to blow its attackers to bits. Unfortunately, whilst a lowly Crusader like me just got five ships to deal with, the stength of the defending force is rank-dependent. Some people have come across capital ships defending the transport. It seems that how difficult many of these missions are depends on your fight rank.

Once the escorts are destroyed, the transport will make its way over to a Dark Space installation off the beaten path. When docked safe and well, Torres thanks you for your help; it's time to pitch your alliance proposal to him.