Part 99: Caliban System, Vega Sector, Mission 3 (Story)

See, I don't want free choice. The only sandbox game I've ever really liked was Pirates!, and I still don't really understand why it is I love that but I do, and it may be setting as much as anything. I like a lot of latitude in how I get things done, but having to cast around to find the plot or work out what to do next just bores me (and generally leads to me playing the game from a walkthrough - I did that with Star Control 2, for example, because there's a lot of fun to be had there if you can find any of it, which I didn't feel like aimlessly blundering around trying to do).

Anyway, on with the show.
Caliban System, Vega Sector (Mission 3)

The Victory continues on her path to the jump point, with her flight wing landing only long enough to re-fuel and re-arm before relaunching to escort the carrier.

Which is my way of saying there aren't actually any cut-scenes between this mission and the next one. So maybe with nobody to talk to Blair decides to see if he can catch some news:

Cut content - TNC Infobursts


Cutscene Video (Youtube)
In this week's top InfoBurst, Confed forces have liberated the enslaved population in the Cabrea system. But the Confederation has clamped down on all vid-transmissions from the system, citing "the interests of Confed-security". Independent sources, however, report that conditions within the system are so horrific that Confed has concluded freedom of the press must take a back seat to the psychological harm any news releases may do. TNC believes that you the viewer have a right to know at all times. Therefore we are currently taking action to combat this clear case of prior restraint.

Cabrea is in the same sector as Vespus. I guess losing the Concordia slowed the Terran offensive in Enigma down, but it clearly didn't stop it. Maybe the war is looking up? Or maybe it isn't, Cabrea's not exactly on the main axis of the war; it's four jumps even to get to the nearest major Terran base (Ella).

Rec Room, TCS Victory

Just the killboard, with its rather strange assertion I only got six kills in that last mission. I count five Dralthi, two Vaktoths, two Darkets, and two Corvettes, for 11.



Mission Briefing
Briefing Room

Apparently the Victory and her escorts (Destroyer Squadron 67, according to the novel) now constitute "such a large force". Or maybe Eisen is implying that we currently have a ton of fighters up because we're paranoid about more Kilrathi ambushes. It would explain why nobody is around to talk to, though not why we don't run into more friendlies in the mission.



: Let's get down to business, shall we?
: I'm ready, sir.
: Get us to the new jump point, Colonel. Word is Confed has got some other plans for us, it'd be a shame to disappoint them. But since we're moving such a large force, you can bet the Kilrathi will want to give us one of their noisy send-offs. Good luck, Colonel!

As for Confed's nebulous "other plans", well, I did say both sides have set in motion plans to win the war, didn't I?

Choose your own Blair!
No conversations, so no choices there, but we've got the pick of fighters...except we don't, really, the game limits you to the Arrow and Hellcat, which is incredibly annoying because this is very much a Thunderbolt mission. Free wingman choice though, so anybody except Maniac as per usual. For reference, the thread has currently picked this wingman distribution (missions with no choice not counted, though if I did, you can add 2 to Hobbes's count, and 1 to Flint's, Maniac's and Vaquero's):


From this we determine that the thread loves Maniac (and, apparently, hates Vaquero, or just, like me, doesn't really understand why he was added in to the story). Or that they think giving me a wingman who disregards any order more complicated than "break and attack" is funny.