Mission 13 and Mission 14

Toledo, Omicron Alpha

Once you arrive on Toledo, the planetary base of the Order, you'll finally be able to activate the alien artifact. The scientists decode the artifact and determine that, at a certain location, the artifact can be used to destroy or at least slow down the aliens. The plan is to open a galactic-sized jump gate to pull the aliens out of the galaxy. Your job is to buy scientists time to get the artifact ready.

The alien jump gate.

Just as you figure out how the artifact works, the aliens find you and attack Toledo. You head into space to take the aliens on, but joining them are familiar vessels--the experimental ships from earlier are actually alien ships. Your first order of business is to destroy the main alien battleship. If you're in a light fighter, focus on the alien interceptors and stay away from the battleship, letting the others deal with it. You simply won't have the firepower to do much. If you're in a heavy fighter, use missiles and torpedoes to take on the battleship.

If you decide to attack the battleship, keep this in mind: There is a small area on the underbelly of the battleship, near the rear, where its guns cannot hit you. Once you've found this position, you'll be able to attack the battleship without fear of retaliation.

The barrier is a massive, massive sight.

Just as you destroy the first battleship, a second will decloak. But before you engage the second, Orillian thankfully calls you back to the planet to mount the artifact, and then you depart and make for the alien jump gate. Right before you enter the jump gate, an alien capital ship decloaks with a number of fighters, but your own heavy fighter escorts will help a lot. Do what you can, but make for the jump gate. Once through the jump gate, you'll see a massive barrier in front of you, and you'll be in for the epic finale.

The alien city--the fight is not easy at all.

At the barrier, you'll need to destroy four generators to get through the shield blocking your path. You'll be met with 30 to 40 alien fighters, but you should once again concentrate on taking out the four green generators rather than fully engaging the oncoming fleet. Possibly the hardest part of this battle will be dealing with your computer system slowing down as it tries to render all the ships. If you head for the power generators, try constantly facing them and strafe to avoid fire.

Once you destroy the four generators, a passageway through the barrier opens. On the other side, you'll find a massive city built on a large asteroid. Surrounding the city are six huge diamond-shaped generators surrounded by smaller weapons platforms. You must destroy two of the diamond-shaped rocks to drop the shields of the alien city. If you head below the generators, using the them as cover, you'll be able to position yourself so the weapon platforms will be unable to hit you. Use thrusters to strafe as needed to protect yourself from the interceptors, and destroy the generators as quickly as possible.

And it all comes to an end.

Once done, you've beaten the game, and you're are in for the final, epic cutscene. Congratulations. After this, it's on to freelancing for as long as you'd like.

Keep in mind that there's plenty left to explore, and the following sections of the guide will help illuminate some of the intricacies of freelancing. If you haven't had a chance to do so yet, this is a good time to play with a freighter and explore the trade routes, border worlds, and outer colonies. If you find freelancing to your liking, you'll enjoy the game's multiplayer component, which consists entirely freelance missions.