4: Central Command

If you haven't yet found it, there's an Automatic Manufacturing Facility just north of your current location, pictured here. My scientists transmitted orders here to make a repair chip, which is now in a receptacle locker inside the facility. You will need to take this repair chip to the roof of the Central Command tower to successfully execute the proper repair protocols on our defensive systems. This will also engage the auxiliary sensor array on the roof, allowing me to get a better picture of what's happening both on and off the planet.

To gain access to the tower, you'll need to open the large entry doors, which can be done at the nearby control station, shown in the bottom picture. Have you tried using the Chain Bursts I sent you? I was able to patch my ship's transporter into one of the planet-side armories that house more powerful spells. I'm still only able to transport a limited number at a time, even more so now that I'm also doing it via proxy. Chain Bursts are extremely effective against groups of enemies. It's best to wait until a group of enemies lines up together before deploying the spell. The longer the line, the more effective the spell is. Given the sharp escalation of attacks by the Pfhor, try to utilize Chain Bursts as much as possible. I will send them whenever I can.

The switch next to you opens the Central Command tower doors, located on the North facade of the building. Once inside, start to make your way up the tower. About halfway up, you'll find a floor with several access terminals and a pattern buffer. There should be a few caches of spells located on this floor, so be sure to search each room.

After this, you must make your way to the tower's roof to manually insert the repair chip. If everything goes right, I should be able to activate our drones and gain limited anti-orbital abilities against the Pfhor warship. I will also deploy our auxiliary sensor array, allowing me to complete scans of this star system and the surrounding space, giving us a better idea of where our reinforcements are. Once you complete both tasks, I will contact you from a terminal at the top of the tower. Good luck.

More interestingly, we now believe the gravitational array has been directed at this very moon the entire time. That would certainly explain the moon's unstable condition. It could also explain why spells seem to become more effective when testing closer to the moon. The question is why this is happening in the first place, and just how long it has been going on. More research is needed before we can reach any significant conclusions.

I have successfully gained access to our defense grid, and am conducting a scan of the surrounding star sector to assess our current situation. Istoria's Automated Defense Drones are activating all over the outpost. I've also activated some of our anti-orbital defenses, which has caused the Pfhor ship to withdraw to a much higher orbit. They can still transport reinforcements to the surface, but their capacity to inflict bombardment on us is now limited.

The scientists are still protected underground, working to reestablish contact with Sentinel. But they haven't made any meaningful progress, which doesn't surprise me. Your next mission is to clear out several nearby areas heavily infested with Pfhor. I have opened two massive doors on the streets far below you. Take whichever door you prefer and proceed on.

EMERGENCY NOTICE: Access to Subterranean Structures Sealed Directive from Central Command Garrison: Until further notice, access to the subterranean structures under Central Command has been sealed pending the ongoing Pfhor attack. Magma from Chamber B has been successfully drained into the cavern below, blocking physical access to the underground structures from all above-ground hostiles. All non-combat personnel trapped above ground are advised to seek out whatever adequate shelter is available to hide from Pfhor troops.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ The deaths of the Noble 20 at the hands of the Elders were not in vain. Their efforts to find the ancient Edifice and their subsequent executions led to widespread revolts. The [Praetor's?] forces were incapable of overcoming our numbers. We are finally in control of our destiny.

/-/ S'PHT TRANSLATOR Active /-/ The Elders relented at last, no doubt a desperate attempt to avoid the fate they so easily chose for our brethren. But they were too late to save themselves from the masses, who threw them upon the same inferno that consumed the Noble 20. Now we have set out in search of the Edifice, here in the molten caves under the Great Citadel, seeking an answer from our past. If our search proves to be fruitless, I fear all is lost.

Unfortunately, the Pfhor have already managed to disable the dampening field housed near you that prevented transportation underground. I have little doubt the science teams below are currently being eliminated. After that, you are all that stands between the Pfhor and Istoria.

If it isn't evident to you by now, I intend to deny the Pfhor the satisfaction of seizing Istoria by having you destroy everything here first. You must get to the deepest level of the Jjaro structures, where the fusion reactor powers Sentinel and the gravity array. Once there, I will provide instructions on withdrawing the reactor's control rods to set off a runaway reaction that will cause a massive fusion explosion, destroying the entire outpost and a large chunk of the planet's surface. Don't worry — this isn't a suicide mission. You should have time to escape off the surface, provided the Pfhor don't get you then.

Now, back to your mission: Make your way down the hallway behind you. You'll eventually come across a platform that will take you deeper underground. It may be a little while before I can reach you at a terminal down below. Just know that you will be looking for an uplink chip and a white keycard to pass through the area successfully. I will have more specific instructions for you once you're there. Good luck.

To gain entry to the subterranean structures below Central Command, you need to complete the following two tasks, in whichever order you prefer: 1) You need to follow the street to the northeast, pictured here, which will take you to the streets surrounding the Hot Gates cliffs. Once there, you need to flood the magma chamber below that area. As I stated before, this will drain the magma from below Central Command, which is what we ultimately need.

2) You also need to locate a green keycard to open the green door in the tower lobby and gain access to the basement. I have reason to believe a green keycard is located near the river accessible via the northwest street, pictured here, if you haven't already found it. Only when both items are complete will you be able to access to the subterranean structures and proceed with my plan. All the while, the Pfhor fleet draws closer. Please hurry.

I hope you have a green keycard, because it looks like the Pfhor reinforcements will arrive sooner than I projected. They'll be within long-distance transporter range in less than six hours. Make your way into the tower's basement through the green door located in the lobby. You'll come to a platform that will take you underground. I will contact you there.

If you still don't have a green keycard, follow the northwest street pictured here, until you reach the nearby river. I have reason to believe a green keycard was left somewhere along that river.

I hope you have a green keycard, because it looks like the Pfhor reinforcements will arrive sooner than I projected. They'll be within long-distance transporter range in less than six hours. Make your way into the tower's basement through the green door next to you. You'll come to a platform that will take you underground. I will contact you there.

If you still don't have a green keycard, follow the northwest street pictured here, until you reach the nearby river. I have reason to believe a green keycard was left somewhere along that river.