Terran Empire Incursion is divided into two phases. The first phase lasts about ten minutes requires closing rifts, and activating power relays to improve the Vauthil Station's defenses. The second phase requires destroying the Mirror dreadnought. The only mandatory objective is destroying the dreadnought - this completes the mission. All other objectives in both phases are optional and do not hinder progression; working toward these objectives increases the quantity of marks rewarded upon completion.
Phase 1: Closing rifts and improving station defenses[]
This phase has three optional objectives:
- Preserve Vauthil Station's health
- Close rifts
- Increase station defense level by activating power substations
Vauthil Station begins the mission defenseless. Restoring its weapons requires interacting with the four power substations at the corners of the map. Activating a substation slowly charges Vauthil, eventually activating one tier of Vauthil's defenses. Each tier grants Vauthil new weapons; there are five tiers, with each tier taking longer to charge. Substations shut down - and must be reactivated - after the completion of each tier. Substations activate more quickly when interacted with by cruisers.
Enemy ships spawn from rifts that form around the map. Rifts "grow" over time if left unclosed; with each growth, a rift spawns a group of more powerful ships. Rifts are closed more quickly when interacted with by science ships. Closing rifts quickly prevents the map from being inundated by enemy ships - both in quantity and quality; this eases preserving Vauthil's health.
The group should work in teams of at least two. The first player in each team draws aggro; the second player interacts with rifts and power substations. Interaction is interrupted by taking damage; the interacter is well-served by having a cloaking device or other means to distract the enemy. Destroying enemy ships is unnecessary; once a rift is closed or a power substation is activated, the team should immediately move on to the next target. Spending time destroying all enemy ships merely allows other rifts a chance to form and "grow," and more enemy ships to spawn, making completing the objectives that much more difficult.
Closing rifts is the first priority.
Every time Vauthil falls to zero health, it will go offline for a short time while it regenerates. Defense tiers are not lost.
The phase ends once the timer expires. All extant enemy ships and rifts are removed from the map.
Phase 2: Destroy the Mirror dreadnought[]
This phase has one mandatory objective: destroying the Mirror dreadnought. The optional objective is to destroy the dreadnought within 3.5 minutes.
Seven rifts appear around the map. Their positions are the even numbered positions of a clock face; these positions are the same for each mission. Each rift is guarded by a small Mirror squadron. The dreadnought spawns at one of the rifts. Rifts do not spawn anymore ships.
Occasionally, the dreadnought leaves the map and reappears at one of the rifts. This occurence makes it more difficult to complete the optional. Closing the rifts prevents this. Rifts should be closed as in phase 1. Again, destroying the non-dreadnought Mirror ships is unnecessary and only wastes time.
Once the dreadnought is destroyed the mission ends.