Episode 3 - Winning Mission 2 - Lashing Out

Lashing Out
Date	2668.359.0305
Fighter	Rapier or Gladius
Wingmen	Swordfish and Longshot (Rapier) Saxman and Pumpkin (Gladius)
Other Friendly Ships	1 wing of Gladii or Rapiers, 1 wing of Epees, 1 wing of Broadswords (both 5 fighters)
Objectives	Primary Destroy Ralatha Hidden Primary Destroy Snakeir
Previous	Episode 3 - Winning Mission 1 - Battle of Verdun
Next	Snakeir destroyed Episode 3 - Winning Mission 3A - Rearguard Action Snakeir not destroyed Episode 3 - Winning Mission 3B - Holding the Line

Briefing

Well, Captain, it looks like it's payback time. A patrol from the Concordia has just located a Ralatha-class destroyer, which appears to have separated from the rest of the Kilrathi fleet. The Kilrathi are overconfident, and you're going to teach them a lesson. However, Intel believes this destroyer may not be alone - an intercepted transmission suggests it's flying ahead of a Snakeir-class carrier. We cannot confirm this, and even if it's true, we don't know exactly where the Snakeir is. We're working on it, however, and if the Snakeir is found, your strike force will be diverted to attack it immediately. For this reason, this mission will include an additional contingent of fighters from the Concordia. Against the Ralatha, your combined forces are overkill - but if that Snakeir is out there, you'll need the extra hands.

Player Notes

This mission allows you to choose what ship you will fly into combat. Your mission is to strike a Ralatha-Class Destroyer. You can either fly cover in the Rapier or be part of the strike group in the Gladius. Either way, this is one of the most difficult missions in Standoff. You need to be in top form to be a success here. Either ship choice for this mission will be difficult, however using the Gladius will give you access to torpedoes which can make the difference at the Snakeir nav.

Unless the player is ordered to retreat, ejection always means rescue. All ejections at the Firekka NAV end with rescue. This mission begins as a strike against a Ralatha, however when at the Ralatha nav a Snakeir is located and the strike is diverted. You are trying to kill two capships in this mission, however the Gladius only carries two torpedoes so you are not capable of destroying both yourself, only the Ralatha.

This attack is coordinated along with a strike with the Concordia. This is the first mission you encounter Major Wright, “Stingray.” He’ll appear in various missions along the winning path in later episodes.

At the rendezvous nav point there are two wings present from the Firekka, the player’s wing and the wing he did not choose, if the player is in a Rapier the other wing is Gladii, and vice versa. Two wings from the Concordia rendezvous with the player and include five Epees, with Stingray, and five Broadswords.

At the Ralatha Nav Point is the Ralatha and six Drakhri and three Jalkehi. Thirty seconds after arrival three Drakhri appear at the edge of the nav point. At this point the player will receive a message telling him the Snakeir has been found. Once the Ralatha is destroyed or all the fighters have been destroyed the player is allowed to autopilot to the Snakeir.

Another thirty seconds and six Krants appear on the edge of the nav point. As this occurs the Ralatha also begins to launch fighters one at a time, every ten seconds. It will launch six Sartha and six Drakhri. These launches will stop if the Ralatha is destroyed. Thirty seconds after the previous reinforcements, three Krants and three Jalkehi, among them Kramm Deathfang in a Jalkehi, will appear. After another sixty seconds the final wave of reinforcement arrives, three Gratha and three Jalkehi.

Once all the fighters have been killed you can autopilot. However, if the player is still at the Ralatha nav twelve minutes after the Snakeir message the Snakeir and six Jalkehi appear at the edge of the nav point. The following ships will then appear one every ten seconds following the original Jalkehi as they launch from the Snakeir: six Sartha, three Krants, six Gratha, six Krants, six Drakhri, two Gratha, two Jalkehi, two Krants, two Jalkehi and two Drakhri.

The mission ends when either the player and company destroy the Snakier or all torpedoes and bombers have been expended. If the Snakeir is destroyed, the mission is a success, if it remains, it is a failure.

Destroying the Snakeir will reduce the number of fighters you face in the next and later missions.