Mission 2 – The Search for Hawkes The recovered beacon reveals that Admiral Hawkes is still alive. Find him before it's too late!
Objectives:
Build an expeditionary force
Navigate through the wormhole
Locate the captured crew
Blackwell must survive
As the mission begins, Captain Blackwell briefs you on the current situation. The mysterious aliens have built a Jump Gate to protect the wormhole to Alkaid. You must build a Ballistics Lab to produce Missile Cruisers.
Objective:
Construct a Ballistics Lab
Select a Fabricator and open the Research and Development tab. Select the Ballistics Lab and construct the structure on an open sot around Tau Ceti Prime. Blackwell explains the other uses of the Ballistics Lab, order your Harvester to gather nearby asteroid resources. You should also use your Fabricator to build a Sensor Tower and a couple of Laser Turrets around Tau Ceti Prime.
TIP: Use the Ballistics Lab to upgrade ships' weapons two levels.
Objective:
Build at least three Missile Cruisers and three Corvettes
Us the Light Shipyard to produce Corvettes until you have a total of six, then use it to produce three Missile Cruisers. Group your ships into a single battle force and send them toward the wormhole on the bottom of the map. As you approach, several alien Frigates emerge. Destroy them, then destroy the Jump Gate protecting the wormhole to Alkaid. Clear out any remaining alien forces that emerge after the Jump Gate has been destroyed.
Replace any destroyed Corvettes with new vessels. You may also wish to send your Corvettes to be resupplied before proceeding through the wormhole. When ready, select your battle group of Corvettes and Missile Cruisers and click on the wormhole to Alkaid to head through the wormhole.
Several alien vessels await your arrival on the other side. Destroy them. Switch back to Tau Ceti and order your Fabricator to construct a Jump Gate over the wormhole to Alkaid. Meanwhile, Captain Blackwell orders you to seek out a nearby planet in Alkaid to use as a supply post for your expeditionary force. Start scouting below your current position.
You'll spot an asteroid field thick with ore on the left side of the map. Search immediately right in the asteroid field for Alkaid Prime. Construct a Refinery and build a Harvester to gather the resources from the asteroid field to the left. Build a Light Shipyard so you can bolster your attack force with additional Corvettes and Missile Cruisers. Construct a Sensor Tower to increase Command Points. Finally, construct a Supply Station so you can resupply vessels without the need for a HQ.
TIP: There's a wormhole in Danan in the bottom middle of the Alkaid map. However, you can't head there quite yet.
Increase the size of your attack force with a couple of Corvettes and Missile Cruisers. Search the bottom right of the map to discover an alien planet. Destroy the surrounding defences (Plasma Spitters above and below the planet and a group of Frigates). You're ordered to construct a Troopship to capture the planet.
Objective:
Construct a Troopship
Use the Light Shipyard to build a Troopship. These vessels possess the ability to capture enemy ships and structures. As the ship is being built, use your Corvette and Missile Cruiser force to scout the area around your planet and Jump Gate for enemy vessels.
Objective:
Upgrade Troopships
Take over the Mantis base
Use your Fabricator to build a Marine Training Facility, which can be used to upgrade your Troopships. Escort your Troopships with your Corvette ad Missile Cruiser group toward the alien planet. Manoeuvre the Troopships and capture the Thripid (far side of the Mantis base). Order your Corvettes and Missile Cruisers to attack the remaining planetary defences. The mission ends once the Troopship has infiltrated the Thripid.