Description
The Shivans ship, the Chakra, is preventing the Laos from jumping out with a new jamming technology. It is Alpha wing's job to protect the Laos and disable/destroy the Chakra. There will also be a few surprises along the way.

Storyline:
In this mission, the Shivans have finally used their superior knowledge of subspace as an effective weapon. The Chakra, a Shivan Cain-class cruiser, carries a device which prevents the Terran Fenris, the Laos, from using subspace to escape. To prevent the loss of the Laos and its crew, Alpha must neutralize the Chakra. This storyline is very interesting, but there are a few design quirks which prevent a smooth transition into the mission.

Balance:
Alpha is outnumbered in this mission, but can choose from any Terran or Vasudan fighter or bomber. Unfortunately, there simply isn't enough missiles to go around -- only five of each type except the Interceptor. The default loadout (Ulysses, D-Advanced, Avenger, 10 MX-10s) isn't enough to handle the job. <p> To make things even more difficult, the hostile fighters will arrive to threaten the Laos when you're just far enough away and at the right time to make it difficult to run back to intercept them. Even by dividing your forces, you will simply be unable to attack the Chakra and defend the Laos. Worst of all, when you come close, two "final" fighters in Feta wing will arrive to finish off the Laos. Unfortunately, the Laos will send a message saying they can handle the attack. A few seconds after, the Laos died on me every time. I'm not a bad pilot, so I don't believe this mission is winnable.

Design:
There are a few storyline inconsistencies during the mission. Neither capital ship moves during the battle. Since the Chakra is faster than the Laos, the Laos wouldn't ordinarily escape by outrunning its pursuer. However, the GTC Fenris could escape if Alpha disabled the SC Cain. And there would have been an added thrill if the ships moved and the Cain slowly gained on the Fenris. Since you arrive less than 500 meters futher away from the Chakra than the Laos, this distance is extremely important. The Laos is only a few hundred meters away from freedom. <p> Also, the Shivan capital ship doesn't have any fighter protection of its own. Reinforcement wings will arrive to destroy the Laos, but no ship arrives from the Laos -- even to protect it from Alpha. Not that I should complain, since the existing fighters do more than an adequate job of wiping out the GTC Fenris. <p> This mission is the first one I've seen which uses the mathematics commands effectively. The hostile fighters will arrive depending on math calculations, so it would not have destroyed the mission to have both the capital ships move. Unfortunately, these same mathematics make it difficult (if not impossible) to win this mission as it stands. <p> There were directives and I didn't find any event errors. The in-flight sounds are effective, but the whiny voice made briefings grate on my nerves. Maybe the voice just reminds me of someone I knew (and didn't like) from high school, but it did annoy me.

Gameplay:
The tension in this mission is due to the Catch-22 situation you find yourself in. If you attack the Chakra, the Laos will die. If you don't attack the Chakra, the Laos can't escape. It is fun for the first few tries, until you realize how weak the Laos is and that the Shivans will annihilate it as soon as you break to engage the Chakra. Without a good weapon selection or balance, there just isn't any way to win this puzzle. When you come close, two single fighters will defeat you. This mission becomes an excercise in frustration.

Other Thoughts:
So close to being good.... Give me a decent weapon selection and it might be winnable. Either that or a Leviathan. Some reinforcements might be nice as well, along with moving captial ships.