Playing All Their Cards

Type	Encounter
Objective	Hack and recover 1x Drive Cluster EDF-285 (0.1 m3)
Faction	Angel Cartel
Best damage to deal	Ex Kin
Damage to resist	Ex Kin
Warp disruption	Elite frigates
EWAR	Web
Ship suggestion	Hacking Ship
Rewards	7M ISK + Time Bonus
Extra	Requires Hacking III and a Data Analyzer

Mission briefing

We dropped the ball on this one <Character>, and those putrescent, motherless Angel freaks made sure to capitalize on it. Our only consolation is that it cost them, too. We've managed to root the Angel spy within our ranks – the one who tipped the Cartel off about your visit to the historians. They're in a world of trouble right now; you can trust me on that. From our initial interrogation of this captured Angel agent, we have learned that just before the Cartel blew up the outpost, they managed to find and make away with the data we needed on the Wildfire Khumaak. The historian that was supposed to have a text for you relating to it was tortured into handing over his research and was then killed. They're offering us a deal. We give them back their agent, and they give us the information we want. They tried to make a bid for the Wildfire, but there wasn't a chance in hell we going to entertain that idea, especially once we discovered who their agent was. We negotiated it down to the agent, but we have no intention of making a fair deal with them, simply because when it comes to the Angels, there is no such thing. They have no desire for the safe return of this traitorous scum; in fact if they could kill him right now to shut him up, they wouldn't hesitate. In addition to providing us intel that the historical texts on the Khumaak have been taken, our captured agent has also revealed something else: it's location. His testimony and a good deal of other intelligence we're receiving is pointing to one of the Angels' main staging outposts in Metropolis. The defense forces posted at this place are impressive, <Character>, beyond even your capabilities. We've come up with a plan to lure some out and reduce their numbers to something you'll be more easily able to manage. We forced subversion on our Angel prisoner, made him tell his superiors that we're sending a huge ambush fleet to the meeting point. This should goad them into bringing along a bigger reserve of manpower, most of which will be drawn from that base. While we're having the meet, you sneak in, bypass the remaining resistance, and grab the texts that were taken. Underneath the central command center, we're told there will be several data banks. The documents we're looking for will be in one of these. You'll need to deactivate the security firewalls, which means some hacking. You're looking for a drive cluster called "EDF-285." Grab it and get the hell out of there before the Angels figure out the game.

Ungated semi-deadspace pocket one jump away in Hardbako. You can warp around freely.

Blitz: warp in, hack the Drive Cluster Archives and warp out.

Tips:

• Data Analyzer and Hacking level III is required to open the Drive Cluster Archives
• Warp in is 20 km off the Drive Cluster Archives
• Ships appear when you are 5 km from the Drive Cluster Archives
• Tech II Data Analyzer has a 6 km which means ships will never spawn
• Enemies spawn 100 km away, so you can hack a few timeout without fear of being killed

Defenders (100 km)

		WD	EWAR	L
	11 x Elite Frigate Arch Gistii Hijacker/...
	6 x Destroyer Gistor Seizor/Trasher
	4 x Elite Cruiser Arch Gistum Phalanx/...
	10 x Battleship Gist Cherubim/Seraphim/Throne

Structures

		WD	EWAR	L
	1 x Drive Cluster Archives