Part 33: Mission #29: 15 June 2654, Bifrost System

Mission #29: 15 June 2654, Bifrost System

Previously on Wing Commander: First contact with a new and very big Kilrathi ship that may be carrying the weapon. Unfortunately, it jumped out before we could do anything. Getting ready to destroy the supply depot and thus cut off the enemy fleet from fuel and supplies.


Angel will surely have words of encouragement for us...





But the grapevine says that all that Kilrathi activity... HAS to mean there's an installation nearby. If it's not the station we're looking for... it'll be something else that we can grind into the dust.







Ralari, Fralthi, or starbases, it's all the same. If there are defenders, take them out first. If possible, use only your guns on the defenders. Save your missiles for the primary target. You will need them, non?


Well, that was disappointing... I was hoping for more than just a rehash of that advice we've already heard several times!



The Colonel thinks that I am depressed. It is not so. We live in uncertain times. And I have always known that Death walks beside each of us. But if we destroy the Kilrathi fleet and their secret weapon, I will celebrate.






I'm still not sure if she's trying to make a joke here or not!


Mission Time!

On to the supply depot then!






What you say ! !

















Well that was nothing if not brief and to the point. Time to destroy that supply depot before getting ready for final assault on that weapon. And we get the added entertainment factor of having to do it in a Scimitar because apparently there are NO OTHER SHIPS AVAILABLE WHATSOEVER! Still, could have been a Hornet... First of all, some details about the Kilrathi regulation-issue star base which I forgot to include last time when we were attacking one back in Vega:

Star base

Length: 550 Meters
Mass: 40,000 tonnes
Max Velocity: Stationary
Weapons: Turreted Laser (4x), Friend or foe missiles (unknown quantity)
Shields: Fore: 20 cm equivalent; Aft: 20 cm equivalent.
Armour: Front: 18 cm; Right: 18 cm; Left: 18 cm; Rear: 18 cm.

As you can see, more or less the same as a typical capital ship, but it has pretty much an unlimited supply of missiles which it WILL launch at you if you get close. On to the mission then.

• Mission Video (Youtube)
  

Hm... not sure about you, but I thought that Scimitar held up quite well in that mission, somewhat surprisingly. In fact this mission is not nearly as frustrating as you might expect when you hear that you have to do it in a Scimitar, mainly thanks to reasonably well balanced difficulty level for once. Nevertheless, fighting 5 Grathas in a Scimitar is still a bad idea so you may want to employ the tactics of keeping the last Jalthi around for your wingman to amuse himself with while you deal with the star base. Against all odds, it is actually one of the more fun missions to fly so far!

The situation is also helped by the fact that Paladin, despite his other flaws, is one of those wingmen that manage to stay alive most of the time. Incredibly, there is no possibility to earn a medal which makes little sense as we got medals before for far less than this!

And finally, we are back in a Rapier after quite a while and will keep flying one for all the remaining missions in SM1--no more Scimitar style surprises for now. I would have probably preferred a Raptor instead, but it's not bad either way.

The kill board:





Next time on Wing Commander
A Jerry Bruckheimer production of a Michael Bay movie: Part Thr3e!