Their Finest Hour

2012-01-25T04:08:42Z

Goldenmaster: /* Actions of the Colossus */

{{Mission|next=Clash of the Titans II|previous=Dunkerque|campaign=FreeSpace 2 Campaign Walkthrough}}

'''ACT 3, MISSION 8'''

'''Fighter squadron:''' [[70th Blue Lions]]

'''Description:''' The title says it all. Maybe.

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==Background==
The [[70th Blue Lions]] are, along with the [[GTVA Colossus|GTVA ''Colossus'']] and a small contingent of warships, to create a diversion while the Meson Bomb-laden [[GTD Bastion|GTD ''Bastion'']] collapses the [[Capella]]-[[Epsilon Pegasi]] jump node.

==Walkthrough==
A recommended loadout is the [[GTF Ares|GTF ''Ares'']], armed with a [[GTW Maxim]] on the quad mount and a bank of [[GTM Trebuchet]]s. Alternatively, you can use a [[GTF Erinyes|GTF ''Erinyes'']], armed with a [[GTW UD-8 Kayser]], GTW Maxim and two banks of [[GTM Tempest|Tempest dumbfire missiles]].

This mission was planned big and executed small; the ''Colossus'' has a complicated set of waypoints that are never executed. Also, although all allied ships are beam freed, they are beam freed ''before'' they jump in, so they hardly fire their beams, if ever at all.

Your objective in this mission is extremely simple: survive, and get as many kills as possible. You will face off against multiple Shivan fighters and cruisers. If you want some extra protection from the enemy fighters, stay near the [[GVCv Sobek|''Sobek''-class]] ''Khepri''. If you have loaded your ship with a Maxim cannon and a bank of Trebuchet missiles, use both to destroy the Shivan warships at long range.

If Beta wing gets destroyed, the ''Colossus'' will send out Gamma and Delta wing. Gamma comprises of four [[GTF Perseus|''Perseus'' interceptor]]s by default, while Delta wing consists of four [[GTB Boanerges|Boanerges bombers]]. If Gamma is destroyed, the ''Colossus'' will deploy Kappa wing, comprising four [[GTF Myrmidon|''Myrmidon'' fighters]]. Should Delta be destroyed, the ''Colossus'' will send out Iota wing, consisting of four ''Boanerges'' bombers, as replacement.

Near the end, a [[SD Ravana|Ravana-class destroyer]], the ''Beast'', jumps in to attack the ''Colossus''. The ''Colossus'' destroys it, but sustains moderate damage. When the ''Ravana'' has been destroyed, a [[SJ Sathanas|''Sathanas''-class juggernaut]] jumps in. As the ''Colossus'' takes heavy damage from the ''Sathanas''' main guns, Command orders the warship to jump out. The ''Colossus'', however, defies Command order, and instead chooses to hold off the ''Sathanas'' to buy some extra time for the ''Bastion''. In the ensuing engagement, the ''Colossus'' is destroyed.

You will be ordered to return to base when the ''Colossus'' goes down.

==Notes==
===Real-life Reference===
"This was their finest hour" was a speech made by Winston Churchill in 1940 during World War II, referring to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_France ''Battle of France'']. The name of the mission [[Dunkerque]] (SM3-07), another mission in Act III, was also reference to World War II. Here is an excerpt from the speech:

:''Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "'''This was their finest hour.'''"''

===Allied Warships===
The event that allows the Allied fleet to fire its beam cannons triggers before the bulk of the fleet has arrived. The [[FreeSpace 2 Vasudan Ship Database#GVC_Heket|''Heket'']], [[FreeSpace 2 Vasudan Ship Database#GVCv_Khepri|''Khepri'']], and [[FreeSpace 2 Terran Ship Database#GTC_Stalwart|''Stalwart'']] begin to arrive just over twenty seconds into the mission, moments after the [[beam-free-all]] event is triggered. The warships are then limited to firing [[Terran Turret|turret lasers]] and [[Standard Flak|flak]], since beams can only be freed for ships already in play.

===Actions of the ''Colossus''===
Many community members have noted that the ''Colossus''' last stand, although bold, was rather illogical as she was destroyed in just a few seconds by ''Sathanas 17'', which never jumped to attack the ''Bastion'', as mission dialogue would suggest they were trying to prevent. The ''Colossus'' may not have been able to escape because she begins the mission moderately damaged and with engines disabled, but this is never mentioned in the briefing or messages even when Command orders the ship to jump out.

However, examination of the mission file shows that the ''Colossus'' was intended to have a much longer and more dramatic battle with the ''Sathanas'', but this was scrapped. The scripting and waypoints for much of this battle still exist, but the Colossus' engines were disabled, rendering it largely irrelevant. However, modding the mission itself or using cheats to send a support ship to "repair" the ''Colossus'' will cause it to go on its programmed waypoints, but won't save it from the ''Sathanas'' as the latter has a simple Ai-chase goal to attack the ''Colossus''.

Personal coment (Goldenmaster): I was once playing this mission like always trying to do something to save the ''Colossus'' diving at full speed to try to disable tje ''Sathanas'' main beams with my trebuchets (as always I didn't made it) but something weird happened, during the short fight with the ''Beast'' the ''Colossus'' must have moved or may be the ''Sathanas'' appeared in another position, but the thing is that the ''Colossus'' was out of range of most of the ''Sathanas'' main beams so it started a fair fight, I did my best but the ''Sathanas'' finally got on the right position to smash the ''Colossus'' at the end of the fight and survived with only 17% of it's hull, wich I think, it was very close to victory for the ''Colossus'', I've tryed many times but I could never repeated it, I wish I'd have recorded it.

===SJ ''Sathanas 17''===
The 17 in SJ ''Sathanas 17'' is taken from events logged by the game's Event Viewer (F4, Events tab). At around the same time the SD ''Beast'' is destroyed, the Event Viewer logs [[SJD Sathanas|SJD ''Sathanas]] 17'', one of the many Sathanas juggernauts at the Capella sun, departing. Moments later, an actual ''Sathanas'' juggernaut jumps in near the Colossus and proceeds to destroy it. This ''Sathanas'' is hence called ''Sathanas 17'', even though it is only listed as ''Sathanas'' in the player's escort list.

==Notable ships present==
*[[GTVA Colossus]]
*[[FreeSpace_2_Shivan_Ship_Database#SD Beast|SD Beast]]
*[[FreeSpace_2_Shivan_Ship_Database#SJ_Sathanas_17|SJ Sathanas 17]]

==Technical information==
{{MissionInfo|SM3-08.fs2|82.0 KB|James Agay|56 (+11 waypoints)|10|48|27|2: Exodus|Brief2}}

[[Category:Main FreeSpace 2 Campaign]]

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Their Finest Hour