"Thank you, Ensign." Meer said as he graciously took the steaming cup of stimcaf from the young officer as he took his place in front of a veiwport on the bridge of his new command ship, a Dauntless-class Command Cruiser, the Pride.
He squinted a bit from the light of the Onyxian sun as he gazed out into the infinite starscape.
"Where?"
General Peter Kolesnik, the Onyxian Commonwealth's lead ship designer, who now stood next to Meer on the Pathfinder, pointed just off to starboard at a small shape moving toward them rapidly.
Coated completely in a relfective paint that visually made it nothing more than a vague, shimmering shape, the newest addition to the Onyxian Commonwealth's navy, moved toward them.
"The Sovereignty called their vessel the Ghost-class Bird of Prey, ours has no such designation. It is based on the Sovereignty design, but it is longer. The wingspan has been increased to accomodate the pulse cannons, as well as the added number of turbolasers, ion cannons, laser cannons, and projectile launchers." Kolesnik said with a measure of pride in his voice.
Meer nodded and watched as the ship moved directly into their field of veiw. The reflective armor was so good, Meer could barely see the vessel, which was not floating no more than a few hundred kilometers away.
"Upgraded shielding, including the new pulse shields, upgraded armor, and many technological additions..." Kolesnik continued, before noting Meer's silence.
"I bet..." Meer said, "That enemy gunners would have trouble visually targeting this thing."
"It would make it near impossible for them, yes." Kolesnik replied.
Meer nodded, "They would have to rely on their instruments, which in the heat of battle, may not be that effective. I'm impressed, General."
"Would you like to see our demonstration?" Kolesnik asked, grinning broadly.
"Very much so."
A dummy ship had been set up a few thousand kilometers out. The Bird of Prey came about and made a long, almost lazy, circle about.
"The Sovereignty did well when the chose the weapons that went on their original design. Pulse turbolasers are different from standard turbolasers. Standard fires one big blast, then recharges, then fires again. Each weapon fires a bolt with the same power as a Heavy Turbolaser Cannon except the cannon fires three bolts in a quick burst followed by a power down period double the normal power down period for a Heavy Turbolaser Cannon. These weapons can deliver a devestating blow and provide the Bird of Prey with a knockout punch This weakens enemy shields at a much greater rate."
Meer nodded, "But the Birds wouldn't be able to duke it out with enemy vessels in a one-on-one."
"Correct. The Bird of Prey is a quick-strike vessel. Take advantage of their speed and pulse turbolasers, as well as pulse shielding. Watch."
As the Bird of Prey moved in, the dummy ship fired (remotely by a gunner on the Pathfinder) five turbolaser blasts at the bridge section of the Bird. Just before the Bird of Prey was struck by the blasts, it activated it's pulse shielding, rendering the blasts useless.
Meer smiled.
The Bird then opened up with it's pulse turbolasers as it closed in on the dummy ship. The Bird only pulled up when a collision was imminent, and then began it's lazy arc back around.
Kolesnik turned to Meer, "That is how this ship is best used. But it is also equipped with a Graviton Detector, An Elite Anti-Missile System, 12 E-78 Droid Fighters and fifty Scorpion Attack Droids, so it is effective in other ways."
Meer nodded and turned back to watch the Bird make another strafing run on the dummy ship.
Special Thanks to: Joren Logan.
He squinted a bit from the light of the Onyxian sun as he gazed out into the infinite starscape.
"Where?"
General Peter Kolesnik, the Onyxian Commonwealth's lead ship designer, who now stood next to Meer on the Pathfinder, pointed just off to starboard at a small shape moving toward them rapidly.
Coated completely in a relfective paint that visually made it nothing more than a vague, shimmering shape, the newest addition to the Onyxian Commonwealth's navy, moved toward them.
"The Sovereignty called their vessel the Ghost-class Bird of Prey, ours has no such designation. It is based on the Sovereignty design, but it is longer. The wingspan has been increased to accomodate the pulse cannons, as well as the added number of turbolasers, ion cannons, laser cannons, and projectile launchers." Kolesnik said with a measure of pride in his voice.
Meer nodded and watched as the ship moved directly into their field of veiw. The reflective armor was so good, Meer could barely see the vessel, which was not floating no more than a few hundred kilometers away.
"Upgraded shielding, including the new pulse shields, upgraded armor, and many technological additions..." Kolesnik continued, before noting Meer's silence.
"I bet..." Meer said, "That enemy gunners would have trouble visually targeting this thing."
"It would make it near impossible for them, yes." Kolesnik replied.
Meer nodded, "They would have to rely on their instruments, which in the heat of battle, may not be that effective. I'm impressed, General."
"Would you like to see our demonstration?" Kolesnik asked, grinning broadly.
"Very much so."
A dummy ship had been set up a few thousand kilometers out. The Bird of Prey came about and made a long, almost lazy, circle about.
"The Sovereignty did well when the chose the weapons that went on their original design. Pulse turbolasers are different from standard turbolasers. Standard fires one big blast, then recharges, then fires again. Each weapon fires a bolt with the same power as a Heavy Turbolaser Cannon except the cannon fires three bolts in a quick burst followed by a power down period double the normal power down period for a Heavy Turbolaser Cannon. These weapons can deliver a devestating blow and provide the Bird of Prey with a knockout punch This weakens enemy shields at a much greater rate."
Meer nodded, "But the Birds wouldn't be able to duke it out with enemy vessels in a one-on-one."
"Correct. The Bird of Prey is a quick-strike vessel. Take advantage of their speed and pulse turbolasers, as well as pulse shielding. Watch."
As the Bird of Prey moved in, the dummy ship fired (remotely by a gunner on the Pathfinder) five turbolaser blasts at the bridge section of the Bird. Just before the Bird of Prey was struck by the blasts, it activated it's pulse shielding, rendering the blasts useless.
Meer smiled.
The Bird then opened up with it's pulse turbolasers as it closed in on the dummy ship. The Bird only pulled up when a collision was imminent, and then began it's lazy arc back around.
Kolesnik turned to Meer, "That is how this ship is best used. But it is also equipped with a Graviton Detector, An Elite Anti-Missile System, 12 E-78 Droid Fighters and fifty Scorpion Attack Droids, so it is effective in other ways."
Meer nodded and turned back to watch the Bird make another strafing run on the dummy ship.
Special Thanks to: Joren Logan.