ISDF Campaign

Battlezone II

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Information
Date: 1999
Period: Late 1990s/Early 2000s

This article describes the Battlezone II storyline mission-by-mission. The missions occuring after Fanning the Fire are mutually exclusive; only one of the two endings can occur.

Intro Cinematic

Voyager II, launched by NASA in 1977, is just beginning to reach the edges of the solar system by the late 1990s. As it enters orbit over the Dark Planet, it begins to scan the surface. Zooming in to an area of high activity, it very quickly picks up an incoming missile. Despite activating its self-defence mode and firing on the projectile, the satellite is destroyed.

At a nearby base on Pluto, the engineer monitoring the satellite reports to his superior, Major Manson, that he has lost contact. Upon hearing that the satellite was fired upon, Manson heads into the facility where the satellite was monitored, ordering his squadron to continue to patrol.

After a momentary encounter with an unrecognised unit, Delta Squad continue on patrol. Moments later, Delta Command is destroyed and Delta One soon follows. A squadron of Scion Warriors appear through the smoke and launch an attack on the base, quickly disabling its defences.

Seeing what is happening, Manson quickly retreats to the communications facility to send a distress call to ISDF Command and co-ordinate the evacuation of the base.

Trivia

• The "unidentified" Scavenger encountered early on in the intro is actually an early model of the ISDF Scavenger. Presumably a Scion Scavenger should have been used instead, but its presence is regardless never explained.
• The weapons used during the intro differ significantly from those seen in-game. Scion Plasma appears green and ISDF Plasma appears blue, and one Warrior seems to be wielding a chargeable weapon similar to the MAG Cannon.

Main Campaign

This is Not a Drill

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After contact is lost with Cerberus Base on Pluto, the AAN vote to send the ISDF Second Fleet to investigate. Fearing Pax Kossieh and the AAN will use the investigation's outcome to sieze control over the ISDF, General Bradock sends a message ahead to Manson and orders him to make sure Cerberus appears to be a scout base, before proceeding to lead the investigation and search-and-recovery mission himself.

Lieutenant John Coke, a member of Orange Squad and Secret Operations, is amongst the first to land on Pluto with his commander Yelena Shabayev, her other wingman Lt. Simms, and Commander Miller and the rest of Red Squad.

After splitting up with Red Squad, Simms is ordered to take a path to the east of Cooke and Shabayev. He soon picks up an unidentified signal heading north along the same path, which Shabayev and Cooke intercept when their paths converge; when the object (a Scion Guardian) opens fire on Shabayev, it is promptly destroyed.

Shabayev identifies the remains of the outpost from the other side of a ridge and attempts to contact SkyEye, but fails to make contact due to radio interference. Instead heading inside the base's perimeter, Simms comments that it is remarkably heavily armed for a scout outpost and departs to commence a perimeter sweep, while Shabayev orders Cooke to locate the communications building as she checks the base's tunnel network.

Once Cooke has located the building, Shabayev is quick to notice some abnormal readings originating from within. Investigating, Cooke finds Manson within, apparently injured, who informs Orange Squad that there are hostiles all over the area and jamming ship-to-shore communications. Simms soon picks up an enemy craft in his area; the two Sentries begin to attack him as Shabatev and Cooke are en-route to provide support. Orange Squad flee back to the outpost expecting an imminent attack, with Cooke splitting off to intercept a pair of incoming Scion Scouts along the way.

As Orange Squad return to the outpost, they receive a mayday from Red Squad, who have similarly come under attack. With Simms' Thunderbolt having suffered heavy damage, Cooke and Shabayev are left to assist Miller, one of whose wingmen is killed by two Sentries just as they arrive. They succeed in saving Red One, and Cooke quickly heads out again to recover a Service Truck she had located, fending off several more Sentries in the process.

Trivia

• The dropship's magnetic locks holding the player in place are in fact MITS mines placed on the terrain below.

A Simple S&R

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The ISDF investigation of Cerberus Base turns up a small collection of vehicles modified for mining duty, but no evidence that mining has been occurring on Pluto; suspicious, Shabayev requests that full information about the base be given to field commanders, while Braddock delays the investigation in order to confer with Manson.

The forces on the ground, meanwhile, are left to activate the power grid in an unexplored section of the base near where they initially arrived, 40 kilometres south of the site of the initial attack.

Exploring the area around the base, Cooke and Shabayev quickly come into contact with a Scion Builder constructing a Jammer. After destroying the Jammer and fending off incoming Sentries, the pair follow the fleeing Builder to another Jammer. Once it is destroyed, they proceed to the site of the power grid to the west. Upon arrival, and having fought off the occupying Scion forces, Shabayev commandeers a Constructor to build a new power generator, bringing Cerberus Base close to operation.

Trivia

• Shabayev is the only individual known to be able to pilot Constructors.

We Have Hostiles

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With the survivors of the initial attack silent out of fear, orders or ignorance, investigation into the enemy forces reveal very little. It is discovered, however, that they are similar to the ISDF, which bases designed for quick construction and removal but with bio-metal technology several years more advanced, as demonstrated by their crafts' morphing abilities. The investigation also suggests that the ISDF may only be facing an expeditionary force. Urged on by this information, Braddock sends a message to a mysterious figure he addresses as "Burns", saying that if they know how to contact him if they have something to say.

Inside Cerberus Base, Cooke and Shabayev begin to sweep the tunnels and buildings respectively around the power grid. In doing so, Cooke discovers a Hauler making away with an unusual artefact; the object's discovery leads Shabayev to realise the Cerberus base was anything but a scout outpost.

Before Shabayev can do anything about her discovery, she and Cooke receive an urgent message from Commander Miller, who was isolated by enemy forces while out with Manson and Simms. Shabayev has Cooke use the Relay Bunker to locate the squad for her, before departing to recover them. While she is away, Braddock contacts Cooke directly and orders him to defend the artefacts, claiming them to be ISDF crates. Cooke fends of several waves of Scion forces and defends both the crates and the base before Shabayev can return with the stray units. Once they have returned, Braddock deploys a Recycler to assist them in taking back the area.

Too Hot

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At Cerberus Base's technical center, investigators discover technical information on the Scions that pre-dates the attack on the Voyager II probe covering their craft and communications but with no record of prior conflict. A brief description of their social structure refers to the aliens as the Scions, and to a leader called the Padishah. A message from this leader is intercepted by the ISDF at around the same time, though the transmission is garbled and only a few words and phrases can be made out; "dark planet" "ultimate destiny", and "our mission will proceed".

Meanwhile, Braddock sends a message to Cooke, congratulating him on defending the ISDF crates and warning him that all of his men must be willing to lay down their lives to defend ISDF technology, as the Scions are a dangerous threat.

With Cerberus back online, some of Braddock's forces begin to advocate leaving Pluto, as they should never have been there in the first place. Braddock, however, is determined to launch a counter-attack.

As Manson and Blue Squad head out on a patrol, Shabayev is left with a Recycler to begin organising a defence and constructing a base. She takes the opportunity to introduce Cooke to the process, giving him responsibility over controlling and defending a Scavenger.

Manson soon reports to Braddock that his forces are taking heavy casualties. Braddock recalls Orange Squad to their Recycler to act as reinforcements, ordering Shabayev to rendezvous with Manson elsewhere, leaving Cooke to defend the Recycler and Scavenger alone.

Eventually, Cooke is ordered to retrieve a modified sniper rifle from the Armory and proceed to a Relay Bunker to the north. Once he is there, Braddock explains the situation; Green and Blue Squads are shepherding the remaining Scion forces towards him and he is to use his sniper rifle to plant a tracer on one of their ships. Once Cooke does so, the enemy column attempts to destroy the bunker he was hiding in; the pursuing forces arrive in time to drive them back to their retreat vessel, which the ISDF are able to track to a previously unknown planet on the edge of the solar system,referred to officially as the Dark Planet.

The last discoveries made by the investigation into the assault on Cerberus Base before it was uprooted revealed that the Scions did not have any significant foothold on Pluto, and raised the idea that their forces were delivered there from elsewhere. Several Scion cadavers were also discovered; as no injuries were found, they were presumed to have been victims of illness.

Trivia

• Braddock orders Cooke to fire a sniper rifle round into the canopy of the enemy craft to disable its occupant, despite the rifle Cooke was given not being capable of this.

The Dark Planet

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As the ISDF approach the Dark Planet, Braddock orders Manson to remove a quarry on the surface before any intelligence officers can pick up on it, while publicly maintaining that he is to lead the landing party. Shabayev, meanwhile, remains irritated, as Blue Squad didn't did not require her assistance.

Upon landing, Shabayev makes a brief check of the landing zone perimeter before leaving Cooke on defence and setting up a base, until lack of visibility forces her to put Cooke on resource collection while she manages the immediate area. It isn't long before Cooke encounters a heavily defended pool, so Shabayev constructs a factory so he canwa take the defences out with Jackals.

Once this is done, Manson tasks him with a special assignment; intelligence has discovered an alien structure that must be destroyed. Once Manson, his two wingmen (Sergeants Masiker and Zdarko) and Cooke reach the object, one of the sergeants comments that the building looks very much like one of their own, but Manson is quick to shoot him down and remind him that they are not there to ask questions. Cooke plants a satchel charge on the object and destroys it.

With no formal report having been made on the object, the ISDF investigators take samples of the remains for investigation. Unfortunately, while Manson and his wingmen were occupied, some smaller squads were overrun by the Scions.

Trivia

• The object Cooke is ordered to destroy is clearly of ISDF origin, but is referred to variously as "Quarry", "Excavator", "Drilling Rig" and "Teleportal".

The Wormhole

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The investigation into the destroyed ISDF building is able to prove nothing conclusively bar that it once bore the ISDF insignia, though a Jackal pilot who was operating in the area identified it as a mine before he was killed in combat.

Charon Base, the ISDF's new emplacement on the Dark Planet, is nearing the point where it can be used to stage a full attack on the Scions. Cooke, having been criticised by Shabayev for his unexplained disappearance the previous day, joins the rest of Orange Squad as reserve and defence to prevent the Scions from flanking Green Squad as they push towards the planet's last Scion base. While Cooke is helping to defend against an attack from the front, a small wing breaks through the perimeter to the west to attack the exposed flank, forcing him to reposition his forces.

Once a lull in the combat appears, Manson informs Shabayev that the Extractor supplying the Scion base has been located. She sends Cooke to take it out, and Manson follows this up with a Constructor to fortify the pool before ordering Cooke to deploy a Scavenger on it.

Eventually, Manson orders a full assault on the Scion base; Cooke is given control over a Liberator Bomber and ordered to take out the Overseer. Upon the destruction of their base, the Scion forces activate a Teleportal and flee through the resultant wormhole. Under Braddock's orders, the ISDF forces pack up and follow them through, completely blind to what may be on the other side.

Investigations on the Dark Planet reveal that the Scion presence there was not enough to constitute the main population (though some foundations of long-term buildings were found, indicating a potential colonisation effort), and more dead and dying Scions are found in the same conditions as on Pluto. Interestingly, amongst these foundations investigators find artefacts bearing the insignia of the ill-fated NSDF Black Dogs. Voyager II's remains are also found on the planet's surface, and examination of the wrecked hull indicates that it was destroyed by a Scion missile. Braddock's report to the AAN marks the Dark Planet and Scions as highly dangerous, and postures that they were planning to launch an invasion of Earth.

Through the Looking Glass

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The journey through the wormhole proves rough, with several members of blue squad failing to survive the journey. Seeing this, much of the 2nd Fleet's staff begin to have doubts in his superior's orders. Fearing that the 1st and 2nd Fleets will be needed to defeat the Scions, Manson says he can no longer support Braddock's strategy, despite supporting the ideals.

Braddock, meanwhile, receives an ominous Scion transmission claiming to be from the "Burns" he was attempting to contact previously. Now Braddock is on their territory, Burns says, his people are watching, and they will make Braddock proud.

When the 2nd Fleet exits the wormhole, they find themselves nearby a jungle-covered planet they name Mire. There, they deploy troops to construct what will eventually become Beatrice Base, their main base of operations in the sector.

Initially, Manson orders Shabayev to set up the Recycler, but Braddock calls her off to scout ahead and walks Cooke through the base building process instead. As Cooke begins erecting the base's defences, Shabayev reports that she has discovered what appears to be the ruins of an ancient alien city, but quickly finds herself in trouble when her tank is destroyed. Cooke immediately heads to her assistance, but the two find themselves cut off by Scion forces and are forced to take shelter in a nearby building.

Investigation of the ruins reveals them to be from the Cthonian era, a finding further backed up by the discover of Cthonian script within.

Trivia

• Cooke is given access to an unrestricted Recycler on his first full command, despite being given limited ones further down the line.

Get Help

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Get Help

Rumble in the Jungle

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Rumble in the Jungle

Snow Blind

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Snow Blind

On Thin Ice

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On Thin Ice

Counterattack

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Counterattack

Payback

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Payback

Fanning the Fire

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Fanning the Fire

Campaign Split

The storyline diverges at this point, based on Cooke's decision at the end of Fanning the Fire. Destroying the Scion craft continues the ISDF campaign, whilst siding with it continues the Scion campaign.

Battlezone Storyline
Prologue		The History of Biometal Warfare
Battlezone		Combat Exercises · Stars and Stripes · The Red Brigade
The Red Odyssey		Dogs of War · Red Storm
Battle Grounds		Alternate · Enforcer & Slingshot · Nightmare · Stargate · Mars · Relics · Other Maps
Rise of the Black Dogs		Rise of the Black Dogs
Battlezone II		ISDF Campaign · A Battle Royale · A Species Not Worthy · Demo Mission
Overall		Timeline of the Battlezone universe