X-WING

　OP 4: Capture Stolen Freighter

　File Name: wycapt2
　Mission Briefing
　Fly cover for a Rebel shuttle while it attempts to capture an Imperial freighter. The Star Destroyer Intrepid is known to be in the vicinity. You enter the area alone in your Y-wing, and the freighter Phoenix is directly in front of you. Two Imperial transports and two pairs of armed Imperial shuttles must be neutralized first for the capture operation to proceed. The Alliance shuttle Wilsey arrives after the freighter has been disabled.
　Farlander's After-Action Report
　Straight by the book, standard mission start. Cycled through the target list and decided to go after the nearest transport. I selected torpedoes and, as I closed to firing range, the transport opened up with ion cannons on the freighter. I passed right by two of the shuttles as I got a rock and fired, and then switched back to laser cannons to finish off the TRN.
　As soon as the transport blew up, another dropped out of hyperspace. I figured that if the new one was going to make the same attempt to disable the freighter, I'd let him proceed and save myself the trouble. I launched a couple of torpedoes at the freighter to help the process along.
　The other transport probably had the boarding party, so I targeted that one next. I intended to use the same strategy - a torpedo followed by a few laser blasts - but while I strove for a solid lock, I was getting hammered by the shuttles, which were shooting me from behind.
　Each had eight forward-facing laser cannons, firing four at a time, so even as I stretched the distance between us, they didn't have to be very accurate to hit me. I was just moments from achieving a lock on my target, however, so I held on just long enough to fire the torpedo, and then broke off and went into evasive maneuvers, rebalancing my shields and redirecting power to them quickly.
　I was able to shake my tormentors long enough to finish off the transport with a few blasts of laser fire. Again, a replacement dropped out of hyperspace almost immediately. I realized that I was going to have to get rid of the shuttles sooner or later anyway, and it might as well be sooner.
　The situation was a little challenging at first: Although they're relatively slow compared to a Y-wing, shuttles are very maneuverable. I couldn't slow down to get a bead on one of them without risking exposing myself to fire from one of the others. But my superior speed kept me out of harm's way while I destroyed most of them. From then on, the battle was routine. There were still a couple of Imperial transports, so I went after them next.
　The freighter had been disabled by this time, and the Alliance shuttle Wilsey had arrived to board and capture the Phoenix. This phase of the operation took a few minutes, during which I patrolled the area. All was quiet, and I was figuring on a peaceful end to this mission. On the other hand, I kept my speed up and my guns and shields charged,just in case I needed to get going in a hurry. After the freighter was under our control, the Wilsey departed and the Phoenix got under way.
　No sooner had the Wilsey made it into hyperspace than a Star Destroyer popped up! Almost immediately, it launched a group of three TIE fighters (Alpha), which I sped off at maximum speed to intercept. As I did so, it launched a group of three TIE Bombers (Gamma). These would have to be stopped first.
　As it happened, I was able to eliminate two of T/F Alpha in a head-on pass while speeding toward T/B Gamma. There was another launch of three TIE fighters (Beta), but I ignored these as I concentrated on destroying the Bombers with my torpedoes and cannons.
　After Gamma was eliminated, however, another wave was launched to replace them. I attacked the new Bomber group, and then kept after the TIEs until the Phoenix finally made it into hyperspace, and I received the Mission Complete message.
　Before I could safely disengage, I had to take out any enemy fighters that might shoot me in the back as I tried to leave. This strategy took some time, but eventually I was able to break away and head for home. Before I left, however, I fired a torpedo at the STD Intrepid, just to spite them.
　C.O.'s Analysis
　"Very fine mission, captain, but you were a little lucky to get away with such a reckless attack on the first transport."
　I hung my head. He was right, of course. I had let the shuttles get behind me and pelt me with laser fire. A knew what was coming next.
　"Our analysis of the mission indicates that you might have attacked the shuttles first, perhaps slowing down by increasing shield energy, taking out a few with torpedoes and finishing them with your cannons.
　"One torpedo and two supercharged laser shots will handle a shuttle. Let's face it - they're pretty slow targets. You should have been able to wipe them out and then go for the transports. After the shuttles were taken care of, there wasn't much to challenge you until the Intrepid arrived. If you saved a few torpedoes for the Bombers, you could have handled the latter half of the mission without much difficulty."
　"You're right, of course, sir," I answered. "I was trying a little too hard."
　Lagrane gave me one of those half smiles of his. "Yeah. That's right. But it was a damn fine bit of piloting. Just try to survive, Farlander. We need good pilots alive, not fragged and burned."
　"Message received, sir," I told him.
　Debriefing (Win Conditions)
　SHU Wilsey must dock with and capture FRT Phoenix, and both must then survive.
　Mission Note: The player's ship, the shuttle Wilsey, and the Star Destroyer all have three different start positions. These were designed to give three levels of difficulty for this mission.