"Thank you, Ensign." Logan 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 Pathfinder.
He squinted a bit from the light of the Onyxian sun as he gazed out into the infinate starscape.
"Where?"
General Peter Kolesnik, the Onyxian Commonwealth's lead ship designer, who now stood next to Logan 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.
Logan nodded and watched as the ship moved directly into their field of veiw. The reflective armor was so good, Logan 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 Logan's silence.
"I bet..." Logan said, "That enemy gunners would have trouble visually targeting this thing."
"It would make it near impossible for them, yes." Kolesnik replied.
Logan 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 dires again. Pulse turbolasers fire short, rapid blasts, allowing 'one' shot to strike in different places. This weakens enemy shields at a much greater rate."
Logan 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.
Logan 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 Logan, "That is how this ship is best used. But it is also equipped with a Graviton Detector, An Elite Anti-Missile System, and fifty Scorpion Attack Droids, so it is effective in other ways."
Logan nodded and turned back to watch the Bird make another strafing run on the dummy ship.
He squinted a bit from the light of the Onyxian sun as he gazed out into the infinate starscape.
"Where?"
General Peter Kolesnik, the Onyxian Commonwealth's lead ship designer, who now stood next to Logan 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.
Logan nodded and watched as the ship moved directly into their field of veiw. The reflective armor was so good, Logan 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 Logan's silence.
"I bet..." Logan said, "That enemy gunners would have trouble visually targeting this thing."
"It would make it near impossible for them, yes." Kolesnik replied.
Logan 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 dires again. Pulse turbolasers fire short, rapid blasts, allowing 'one' shot to strike in different places. This weakens enemy shields at a much greater rate."
Logan 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.
Logan 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 Logan, "That is how this ship is best used. But it is also equipped with a Graviton Detector, An Elite Anti-Missile System, and fifty Scorpion Attack Droids, so it is effective in other ways."
Logan nodded and turned back to watch the Bird make another strafing run on the dummy ship.