Mission 15 - Shadows of the Past

## 15 - Shadows of the Past

The sins of the EIRA become the burdens of the United Federation...

### Aftermath

Joint Federation-Annaki Victory* Way open for final assault towards the Sylus Core.

## Belligerents

* United Federation
* Annaki Order *(Late reinforcements)*

* Sylon Collective
* Assimilated Federation ships and stations from the EIRA Incident.

## Commanders

* Benjamin Colburne
* Nephral

* Sylus

## Forces

* Complete Federation arsenal, excluding Avenger II battleships.
* UFN Fenrir

* Complete Sylon arsenal, excluding Assimilators
* Assimilated Federation stations and vessels from the EIRA Incident

## Objectives

* Destroy all Sylon forces *(including assimilated Federation vessels)*.

* Eliminate all enemy forces.

## Casualties and losses

Extensive
Extensive

## Involved Characters

* Benjamin Colburne
* Greg Leskovski
* Vera Vargas
* Nephral

> Okay, just so I understand what’s going on. So we defeated the Sylons at the Solar System, EIRA stole the remnant drone vessels to study them, while a bunch of alien guys called Athraels arrived to relieve Vera’s forces. Their boss, who called himself Nephral, could communicate with Vera through telepathy. Which, by the way, I only thought was possible with my drunkard uncle Piotr. Then Vera contacted us to help them in the war against the Sylons. Aaaand now we’re here.
>
> - Greg Leskovski

*Shadows of the Past* is the fifteenth and penultimate mission of Chapter 01 - Hostile Visitors in the Five Nations campaign.

## Setting

More than a week following her relief from the Sylon Collective's assault at the Sol System by the Athrael Annaki Order, Vera Vargas proposed High One Nephral's strategy to the United Federation High Command, especially Admiral Benjamin Colburne, with great difficulty as, despite the presented evidence she could gather, she was almost denied were not for Colburne's trust in her, enough for him to convince Sky Marshall Victor Komarov to authorize the operation against the Sylus Core in the Hathor-4 System.

As Colburne's expedition arrived at the perimeter of the Core, Vera briefs both Colburne and Greg Leskovski - whom has been mocking most of the operation's circumstances, so far - on both the Sylus Core in the system, one of seven, and how the Sylon Collective can be defeated when all are neutralized. Given that the Hathor-4 System is one of the Sylons' primary mining and manufacturing centers, and was the main attack point from which the Sylons launched their attacks at the Caribou and Sol systems, both Vera and Nephral believe neutralizing this Core will buy time for the United Federation to prepare against future Sylon attacks.

As Nephral and the Annaki Order had already neutralized most of the Sylus Core's outward defenses, it fell to Colburne's expedition to fight through the remaining forces to reach the vicinity of the Core.

## Ghost Ships

Colburne's expeditionary fleet arrived at the proximity of a Sylon base still operational and thus established a foothold to prepare to send forces against it.  During the foothold's development, however, the UFN Fenrir's AIDA detected Federation stations and vessels that didn't belong to Colburne's expedition, most dated from 2223.  Vera surmised these must have been the equipment left behind by her long-gone father, Anton Vargas, during his expedition to the system.  While Leskovski initially presumed this would greatly help their forces, AIDA immediately informed him the vessels were operational, more likely their systems having been taken over by the Sylons.  This meant Colburne also would have to destroy these stations and vessels, especially as these went online and started acting aggressively against the expedition.  The main Sylon facility was also activated, sending it's own drones against the expedition.

To even the odds, especially against the larger Sylon vessels and assimilated Federation forces, Colburne deployed the experimental Crow stealth bombers and Dresda cruisers, whose experimental Ballista Torpedoes could overload the enemy's shielding systems.  Despite the constant pressure of fighting what was virtually two separate fleets at once, Colburne's expedition did manage to destroy the assimilated Federation vessels and stations one by one, being able to focus on the heavily entrenched Sylons by then.

As the pressure was put on the Sylons, suddenly a fleet of alien ships appeared from behind the enemy lines - the Annaki Order fleet led by Nephral - which proceeded to devastate most of the Sylon infrastructure.  The Sylon menace was put to the last in the region by the combined efforts of the Federation-Annaki forces, and both fleets pressed on towards their main goal...

## Walkthrough

The player will start commanding the UFN Fenrir, two Dresda cruisers, two Hailstorms, a St. George with some nearby Crow bombers, a Pasteur, a Kutuzov, a couple of Icarii and some Engineer Shuttles, as well as enough resources to start a base.  Both new units have utilities to the player as the Crow deals strong damage to enemy cruisers while having the benefit of stealth before attack (while Absorptive Plating isn't researched yet) and the Dresda has a potent attack against enemy shields and can also attack enemy fighters, making it a good complement with Avenger battleships.

Right below the player's starting position is a small Sylon blockade, of an Aegis and some Twinblades aided by an Absorber, which the player's battlegroup should destroy, as it will be the optimal deployment site for the Kutuzov.  The player will be building an entire base from scratch, so multiple Solar Stations, aside from the initial Supply Silos required to open the Supply capacity for more units, should be expected.  The player will be better off building the silos a tad close to the Metal asteroid Mining Station, to barricade for defenses as this asteroid field is wide open and thus vulnerable to attacks from the eastern 'entrance'.

Shortly after the player deploys the Kutuzov and starts building a base, the assimilated Federation vessels (white) and their base at the southwest will be revealed to the player.  Besides the threat they pose, as they can and will attack through the southern 'entrance', past a stellar cloud filled with Leech Mines, the player will be tempted to destroy them as early as possible, as they possess plenty of resources available, plus Tachyon asteroids, while the player will be limited to Metal and Helium-3 asteroids, thus limited to Hailstorm cruiser technology.  While there are Tachyon asteroids at the northeastern corner, only guarded by some Sylon defenses, they will be vulnerable to (red) Sylon attacks from it's base at the southeast, and the player will have already destroyed the enemy Federation base and expanded there before considering exploiting these resources.

The assimilated Federation forces will attack the player more often, with large wings of Hurricane fighters and then Orcas, Gunboats and Trinity frigates while the Sylons will attack the player with Spears, Twinblades, Absorbers and Arsons and then follow up with Glooms, Eclipses and Plasma Raids.  Barricade Sats in numbers are a necessity to protect the mining lines as well as a wing of Hurricanes on standby, and while KEIKO Sentries or even a Defense Platform later on can hold against cruiser waves, the range of Arsons, Eclipses and Trinity frigates means the player may also need a mobile force of Orcas and Hailstorms to defend.  The initial resources, while plentiful, are not limited and thus the player will need to build a Merchantport and Medical Station and deploy Pasteur cruisers as soon as possible.  The Fenrir can greatly assist in defense, especially against fighters, with it's Furie UAVs.

An attack force of Orcas and Hailstorms, supported by Pasteurs, the Fenrir and the St. George and Dresdas, can destroy the assimilated Federation base, especially if attacking from the stellar cloud path, by it's northwestern corner, guarded by only a KEIKO Sentry and a Barricade Sat.  A bait strategy to draw most of the defenders out before comitting to the siege is recommended to the player, as well as watching out for potential Sylon attacks, especially from Arsons, that may occur while the attack at the enemy Federation base is happening.

When the enemy Federation base is destroyed, especially it's unit production structures, the player can move in a Kutuzov to establish the Command Station and starting mining out resources, focusing especially on Tachyon to build Dockyards and a Fleet HQ.  The Tachyon will also allow the player, if it wasn't done already, to research the ATB Program upgrade at the Astro Telescope, which allows construction of Crows at the Ship Factory, which will become a powerful asset in assaulting the Sylon base when docked within St. Georges.  Note that, while the St. George can dock Crows, it cannot build them, so the player may need multiple Ship Factories to produce Crows.  The player should also build a Deep Space Lab, which will allow research of Absorptive Plating, that will ensure Crows remain cloaked while attacking, and Fast Charging, which will greatly aid Pasteur vessels in recharging their energy faster, as well as allow Tellers to fire Nuclear Missiles more quickly.

The red Sylon base will have two entrances, one to the northwest, close to the assimilated Federation base, and a northeastern one the Sylons will rarely use for attack, but will do so.  For the attack, the player will want some St. Georges, Avengers, Dresdas if preferable (which require an Enrichment Plant) as well as some Hailstorms, a group of Pasteurs on stand-by and at least two Tellers ready to launch nuclear missiles.  The player can and should use the same bait strategy to draw out the Sylon defenders, which come in large numbers, for the Tellers to destroy and then advance and destroy the rest of the base.  As the player destroys the Quantum Core at the Sylon base, the allied Athrael forces will arrive to help destroy the remainder of the base, with a full complement of Invaders, Rectors, Flankers and a Mothership, as well as Lancets and Martyrprobes.

When the red Sylon base is completely destroyed, as well as the enemy Federation base, the mission is finished.

## History and Background

The assimilated Federation base which belonged to the EIRA expedition from 2223 is a foreshadowing to *False Flag* in Chapter 02 - Ascension, on which the Sylons would replicate Athrael vessels and pilot them remotely to attack the Thorun Empire's facilities in the Obra Sector, effectively turning this species against the Athrael Theocracy.  This assimilated base is also how most likely the Collective did localize the United Federation, yet it still 'took some planning', according to Cura in *Jigsaw* in Chapter 04 - Endgame.

## Trivia

The player destroying the Quantum Core, invoking Athrael reinforcements, is likely a callback and reference to *The Deal* in Prelude - Calm Before the Storm, on which the player was required to destroy a Sylon Quantum Core to win that mission as well.