Info- About 26 missions planned
- Yet another Shivan theory
- Yet another Bosch theory
- No acts – No boring waiting for the next five missions
- Customized AI and re-tabled everything - No cheap destroyer kills, no player-is-a-cheating-bastard (at least not that much)
- Minor sound and music modifications
- 3.6.12+
- Read tips. It’s for your own good.
- Playing with new pilot is recommended - Rank system and several medals are replaced with score and achievments
- This is my first time solo. Criticism is (will be) welcome.
SettingIn 2385, GTVA is no more. A civil war torn it apart into four new nations. You are one of the last top pilots still employed in a real military, serving on the GTD Carthage, probably the last Orion still in service. The carthage has seen better days and the recent outbreak of crime took it’s toll. But one day, you discover an intriguing ad in the newspaper. Little you know that the ad is one giant ruse, and you’ll get recruited much farther than the boonies. Welcome to the Border Guard, a special autonomous fleet of prototypes, dedicated to keep the world safe.
The story of the campaign follows several years after the events of Derelict and ITHOV, showing a last attempt to protect the known universe against the Shivan threat in a decaying civilization.
A peek-a-boo into intelligence room:Border GuardBorder guard is a special secret force created by the Emperor Khonshu II, consisting of Ikeyan (Head Operative Christopher Snipes) and Alhenian (Head Operative Anna Y. Warden) fleets, guarding the only two known permanent nodes outside of former GTVA space. While Vasudan in origin, these fleet are fully autonomous organs with both Vasudan and Terran crews.
Post-Valhalla GTVAThe alliance was highly unstable after its last few battles. Voices started calling for a different political system. While the last year’s reformation and uprising of hammer of light was dealt with and boosted the morale, six months ago a Shivan Ravana class destroyer breached the Ikeyan Border Guard and was spotted by the civilians before it was dealt with. However, the security council was unable to prevent this information from leaking out. An expedition behind Ikeya never reported back and the Jump node was reported destroyed, keeping Khonshu’s secret, but not giving rest to the people. Ten years after Capella, the GTVA was destroyed by civil war, with four new nations taking it’s place: The Vasudan Empire, Galactic Terran Alliance, the Concern, and Independent Mining colonies.
Vasudan EmpireOne of the two heirs of the GTVA, the systems of Vasudan Empire separate GTA and Independent Mining Colonies, keeping the military regime of the GTA from attacking and assimilating the harm- and defenseless miners. After the breakup of the GTVA, Terrans living in Vasudan systems mostly decided to stay, and the Empire granted them citizenship over time. However, even though they are allowed to join the military after clearance, they have no political representatives in the Empire.
Galactic Terran AllianceThe reformed GTA is much smaller than it used to be in the time of Great War. Their borders are in Vega, Antares and Delta Serpentis. This Terran faction is the only one that can stand to the might of the Vasudan Empire, keeping the known universe in balance. It is the leading faction in research, as many Terran companies have their headquarters and development centers in the systems of GTA, however the regime is ran by military and all other nations consider the GTA a ticking bomb.
Independent Mining ColoniesThe IMC is a Terran faction that controls systems from Altair to Gamma Cygni. Those systems are very rich with resources. In fact, half of the known space is buying resources from them. While they are the strongest economy, their military power is next to none, as these systems are newly discovered and no major GTVA leftovers were located there.
The ConcernThe Concern is a territory controlled by Terran and Vasudan companies. With borders in Dubhe and Ross 128, this territory is one big factory. If you want any sort of products, this is the place where you can get it or where you can sell your designs and manufacture them. The newly discovered Knossos in Dubhe, leading to Altair controlled by IMC, also allows big enough supply of resources to come here without the need of carrying it the long way through VE and GTA space and paying taxes for it.
Pirates and mercenariesWith the fall of united navy and cooperation problems between the new nations, the criminals are on the loose. Pirates often engage freighters just as they jump away from a jump node, so they don’t have to engage the blockade and while the freighter’s drives are exhausted. Their success rate is 45%, which led to formation of many mercenary agencies. These two groups often have their HQs in uncharted systems and they are always looking for more, so the border guard must carefully guard their backs.
And a little bit of literature introducing your future CO and yourself08/05/2385 23:10 Terran standard time, SOI WhitehallThe observation deck was empty. Everyone was in the large hall, celebrating. Oddly enough, this was the only time Head Operative Warden had all day to get some rest. She locked the deck up, sat on a bench near a palm tree and watched the stars, searching for Capella, her former home. How long has it been? Eighteen years since she and several million citizens were evacuated and the Shivans destroyed her whole world. She sighed and lied down on the bench, remembering the time.
11/09/2367 06:17 TST, GTFr VaubanShe was but a 15 years old girl, crouching in a corner of transport fleeing Capella. Her 6 years younger sister had her head on her shoulder, crying. They saw the Shivans destroy the transport with their parents just a few seconds ago. She knew it was a miracle they were alive themselves, but the arrival of the Colossus allowed their ship to make it to the node in the nick of time. She didn’t know where they were going or how could she take care of Sheila. One of the passengers approached them and offered them his food. He was an older Vasudan in a pilot outfit. They begun to talk and found out that he is a veteran pilot. “Then how come you are not flying today?” asked Sheila. He explained that his base was destroyed and he survived only because of the officer exchange program. “We are very much alike.” the Vasudan said, “We have witnessed the destruction of our homes, we have lost all of our friends and family.”
They stayed together after the exodus. Both girls quickly become pilots themselves, being the first Terrans to be permanently in service of the Emperor. However, Anna took different path than their step father and younger sister, when instead of her own squadron, she took command of a Sobek class corvette under the command of SOC. When the GTVA broke up 10 years after Capella, she brought her corvette all the way from Barnard’s Star to defend the Vasuda system against newly formed GTA, earning attention of the Emperor himself. After the situation stabilized, she was put in charge of one of the special fleets that were to keep the newly formed nations safe from future threats. And now she is here, in the Alhena system. Head Operative Anna Y. Warden, waging war with the Shivans on two fronts, without the rest of the world knowing.
A bell rang. “This is the XO.” sounded from behind the door. Anna unlocked the deck and let him in. “Colonell Forsythe? Don’t tell me I need to get back to work.” she asked. “No Ma’am. I am here just to report that the Kiila has departed. And to see to it that you don’t spend this event here. There’s a party two decks down.” he said, standing at the window. “You know i do not like parties. Or movies, theatres, anything where there is a lot of people, especially in a work relationship.” she said. Collonell Forsythe just shook his head. “Vega. Arcturus. Vasuda. Tau Sigma.” he said, pointing at the stars on the sky. “They have no idea what we are doing for them here, do they?” he asked, looking at her. “I sure hope so.” she said with a sarcastic tone of voice, “What’s new?” “The GTA is having some minor skirmishes with the Concern, Independent Miners are trying to escalate the conflict as that would increase demand so the Vasudans are holding them at bay. Could have been worse. We also have a list of applications, you should see them, but not today. Fifty years.” he said. Anna got up and stood next to him. “Indeed,” she said and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from behind the palm. She filled the glasses and offered one to her XO and looked at her watches, “Exactly... NOW. To 50 years since the end of the T-V war.” she said. “To fifty years since we stumbled upon the Shivans” added Forsythe. “You’re a pessimist.” said Anna after the toast. “And this is really good stuff. Well, enjoy the rest of your two hours off. If you need me, you know where to find me.” he said, saluted and left. “Fifty years.” she whispered to herself. She will have a sad duty the next day, as one of her men were just being put into coffins at the medlab. In the recent Shivan push, she lost the Pollux system, one frontline and one supply destroyer and almost a hundred pilots. They were running low on everything - crew, supplies, parts - and soon she would be forced to unify her fleets and sacrifice three more systems just to prevent Shivans from pushing into officially discovered space. That is where she got the desperate idea and posted ads throughout the discovered space looking for crew for a highly trained mercenary unit. She sighed and went to her quarters to check the applications.
01/04/2385 02:12 TST, CD Carthage“Scramble, scramble! We’re under attack by unidentified Typhon-class! All pilots, report to hangar bay!” Yelled the intercom and woke Martin up only after two hours of sleep. The bunk filled with swears as the Gamma wing was coming to life way too soon after returning from deep space patrol. “Come on, guys, we’ve survived three days of siting in a cockpit and doing nothing but ****ting our pants from the deep space patrol nightmares, what’s a destroyer gonna do?” tried Martin to cheer the wing up. A pillow flown right into his face as an answer. “Shut the f*** up One!” he heard from the other side of the bunk, and a loud snore made him aware of the state of his Two. “Suit up, people, if we survive this week, we’re not gonna be afraid of hell anymore.” “Whatever...” said Four and got up, searching the closet. Martin poked John. “Five more minutes, one....” he heard. That was too much even for him. He went to the sink, poured a glass of water and emptied it to Two’s lap. He quickly sat in his bed, looking around. “What happend?” “You wet your pants, that’s what. Get up, we have a scramble and we’re already late.” “You know what? I f****** hate you...”
They made it to the flight deck, but no one was around. Not even the launch crew. “That... doesn’t sound like we’re being attacked. In fact, that does sound awfully like the deep space patrol.” noted Four. “April fools.” they heard behind them. The entire night shift was looking at them, four idiots who fell to the annual trick. “Sons of b******!” shouted Two, grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher and foamed the whole shift. Then he angrily tossed it aside and went straight for the bunk. Three and Four followed him, Martin shoved one of the deckhands on the wall and took his newspaper. He returned to the bunk, tossed the flight suit into the corner. “That was my pizza you dip!” he heard Four. “You have gotta be...” he said, switching on the lights. Three smacked him with the pillow again, while Two just whined about his eyes hurting. Martin picked up his suit, wiped the cheese and ketchup with a towel and fell on the bed, stabbing one of the broken springs right into his back. He hissed and moved to the wall. He shut down the light, covered his head with the blanket and read the paper under a flashlight. He desperately wanted another job, but the only chance he had was either go join the pirates or the mercs. He graduated on the top of his class back in the days of GTVA and if not for the civil war, he could have well commanded his own ship by now. But he was glad to make enough money to buy enough booze to survive stuck on this shipwreck. The ship have entered subspace, as the annoying noise was crawling up his ears. He continued browsing through the ads, when he hit a motherload. A new merc group being formed on the edge of known space. A lot of danger, but the money was good. “That’s my cue to leave.” he said and went to sleep. The next morning, he sent his application and informed the commanding officer that he might be leaving in the next month.
