~ -X-3- MISSION 03 ~

Immediately direct your fighters to engage enemy fighters and corvettes, and your bombers to attack the HMF. Once only one or two enemy fighters/corvettes remain, recall your main fighter and bomber groups. Leave a single fighter squadron to reduce the enemy force to one fighter or corvette. Once this is achieved, recall all units and begin harvesting with your collectors.

Construct a refinery at the nearest resource patch. Build additional collectors and a second refinery, deploying it to the resource patch indicated by a sensor ping. Build four more collectors and send them to the second refinery's location. When the first resource patch is depleted, transfer all collectors and the first refinery to the second patch. After the second patch is exhausted, move to the central resource patch. Throughout this process, build up your fighters, bombers, and pulsars in preparation for the next mission. You will receive a notification when platform production is available; build it at your convenience. Platforms are not essential for this or the next mission. You are safe until the lone fighter is destroyed. The SY (Support Vessel) will repair itself.

Position all your fighters and corvettes on the far right side of the map and have them wait. Consider hotkeying your units by type and purpose (e.g., anti-fighter, anti-frigate). When you have sufficiently built up and researched, send a single fighter squadron to destroy the last SY attacker. Then, await the arrival of a carrier near the second resource patch where your refineries and collectors were located. As soon as the last fighter is destroyed, send your entire fighter and corvette force to an area just above the second patch on the right side of the map. Do not deplete your resources, as significant funds will be needed for upcoming research and construction. Upon the destruction of the last fighter, you will receive a new carrier equipped with a frigate facility. You will be alerted to an enemy probe; destroying it quickly offers a temporary reprieve. You may choose to destroy the probe or let it pass. Moving your Mothership to the SY can save time later.

When the carrier arrives, engage and destroy the fighters emerging from it. Once there is a lull in fighter production, target the carrier's fighter facility, then the carrier itself. Use your corvettes and bombers against the fighter facility, and your fighters against the carrier to stall while more fighters emerge. Direct your entire collector group to move towards the enemy carrier. Once the carrier is destroyed, immediately send your fighters and corvettes to the SY, as it will be the next target. While they are en route, instruct your collectors to harvest the wreckage. If your mobile refineries were set to guard your collectors, they will automatically follow and expedite the wreckage harvesting.

You will be attacked by numerous fighters, corvettes, and frigates at the SY. Use your idle bombers to destroy the frigates and then engage the incoming fighters with your fighter screen. Utilize your new carrier to produce flak frigates and one marine frigate once the technology is available, then focus on building flak frigates. Maintain fighter engagement until your flak force is sufficient to engage the fighters approaching the middle carrier.

Once your flak frigates reach the middle carrier, attack it or its fighter facility, but maintain a safe distance. Alternatively, you can use your corvettes and bombers, though this will prolong the mission. Immediately destroy any fighters that emerge from the carrier before resuming your attack on the carrier itself. Ensure your own fighters and corvettes neutralize any enemy fighters, and use your bombers to prevent enemy frigates from initiating a boarding operation.

When the middle carrier is destroyed, eliminate any remaining fighters. Then, move your entire fighter screen to the right carrier and investigate behind it. You will find an assault frigate and an HMF; destroy them before attacking the carrier. If you were attacked by two assault frigates and an HMF, these are the units that may or may not appear. Harvest the wreckage of the two right carriers, as there is minimal threat from a carrier that only produces frigates.