Chapter 80: Ship Drive System
"What are we dealing with? Adam asked.
"My sensors show four small class ships, seven medium class and one large class that is identified as the TD05E-Revenge."
[Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): Oh shit a large class ship.]
[Prestigious3horns (Vinox 2): That must be the one the pirate Bonnie is on.]
[OfficialLorelie (Imperial Down): Be careful streamer, that's a large class ship.]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): Lorelie is right, large class ships have far better shields, defences and weapons compared to medium class ships.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): How is he even supposed to stop that many ships? I know the fleet is also coming but the streamer got a head start.]
[Justiceistruth: (Earth): Maybe focus on disabling the large ship that has the pirate boss on? Can't he just use those EMP missiles again?]
[Superior4horns (Vinox 3): It won't work, all the pirate ships have their shields up now.]
[Justiceistruth: (Earth): But it worked against that Slingshot before in FTL and he had his shields up.]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): True, however as Beczontop said, a large class ships shields are far superior to that which the slingshot was using, the EMP blast from the missiles won't even be able to penetrate shields of that strength. This is why you very rarely find smaller ships taking on larger ones unless they're in a group, they simply lack the firepower to break through the larger ships' shields.]
"Tactical analysis."
"While the small and medium class ships themselves do not pose much of a threat, grouped together they possess a moderate level of threat, if you then include the large class ship that threat level increases by several factors. I advise not taking the ships head on." Spector replied.
"Great." Adam said as Spector continued to close in on the pirate group before he noticed something that gave him an idea.
"Wait there all using thrust type propulsion including the large class ship right?"
"Affirmative."
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): I've been wondering this for a while now since most of the ships we have seen seem to use thrust type propulsion where you can see energy emitting from there rear thrusters. Is anti-gravity propulsion like on the streamers ship rare or something?]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): It's not that it's rare but because it's so bloody expensive to produce. Conventional thrusters using a fusion drive system are far cheaper to produce than an anti-gravity drive system. The anti-gravity drive system works by creating a micro singularity otherwise known as a micro black hole, before trapping said micro singularity within the drives core and then harnessing the power of its gravitational forces. Black holes, as I'm sure you're aware, use gravitational forces to pull everything in existence including light towards them; the anti-gravity drive harnesses this power and focusses it in certain directions making the ship move.]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): While you don't have to worry about refuelling with an anti-gravity drive unlike a fusion drive, the cost of producing one is so great that even after a lifetime of use the fuel costs of a fusion drive still work out far cheaper.]
[AlamoMatador4thewin (Earth): Then why use an anti-gravity drive at all?]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): Manoeuvrability and the amount of space it frees up on the ship. First off a starship using a fusion drive needs a minimum of 10 thrusters in order to move in all directions as well as rotate so that as you can imagine takes up a large amount of space inside the ship, not to mention the bigger the ship the larger the size and number of thrusters needed to manoeuvre efficiently. The anti-gravity drive does not need those thrusters, the drive focuses the gravitational pull of the craft in a certain direction and allows it to manoeuvre, it also provides far quicker response times when for example you suddenly need to change direction compared to a ship using fusion thrusters. Also not having these thrusters opens up more space for other components, living space or even making the ship smaller.]
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Are you saying that the anti-gravity drive doesn't so much push the ship but rather pulls it?]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): Correct, the drive focusses the gravitational pull of the micro singularity on a specific location in space around the ship and the ship is simply pulled to that location before the drive selects the next destination and the next, this along with the momentum the ship builds offers far greater maximum speeds than ships using fusion drives.]
"That gives me an idea." Adam said with a grin as he switched his comm to open broadcast before speaking.
"Admiral I am in pursuit of the pirate ships that are fleeing, please ask your communications officer to expedite the data transfer of that which I stole from the pirate base in case I…. oh shit I'm broadcasting."
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): Err what?]
[Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): …]
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"How long before we are clear of the asteroid field and can jump to FTL?" Bonnie asked her ship's helmsman as she sat in her captain's chair.
"Approximately fifteen minutes, captain." The helmsman replied.
"Good once we are clear, have all ships jump to … " Bonne began but then stopped as her ship received an open communication through the comm.
"Admiral I am in pursuit of the pirate ships that are fleeing, please ask your communications officer to expedite the data transfer of that which I stole from the pirate base in case I…. oh shit I'm broadcasting."
"FUCKER!" Bonnie roared angrily before saying, "Alter course and intercept that ship."
"But captain."
"No buts, we can't let that ship finish its data transfer otherwise they will know everything." Bonnie replied in a rage.
"Come on captain, think logically it's obviously a trap." One of the pirates said in protest.
"Is it? Then how did they know about someone possibly hacking my console? This proves someone snuck aboard the base and hacked it. I want his head."
"Captain please…" The same pirate began until Bonnie pulled out her blaster and shot him down.
"Anyone else want to complain? If so then get the fuck off my ship because I plan on killing that bastard."
The pirates all looked at each other wearily before they all returned to focus on their consoles.
"Altering course captain." The helmsman replied.
"Good, contact the other ships and tell them what's happening and to follow us." Bonnie ordered.
The pirate operating the comm nodded before communicating with the other escaping ships.
It wasn't that the pirates wanted to do this, it was just that this option gave them the best chance of survival. If they choose to leave the ship they would have to either EVA out into space or use an escape pod only to be picked up by the fleet chasing the or worse shot by them.
It never even crossed their minds to mutiny, Bonnie had led her crew successfully for years using her smarts and ruthlessness, they all both trusted and feared her.
Unfortunately this time her smarts had been clouded by her rage at the thought of the pilot of that ship ruining years worth of work.
"Captain, the other ships refuse to assist us and are continuing on towards open space."
"Cowards." Bonnie cursed.
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"What the hell was that communication about?" Admiral Dexter asked.
He was well aware that Adam had transmitted the pirate base's data to Andrew already and was wondering what he was going on about.
"Admiral, the Revenge is altering course to intercept the Spector." The office in charge of sensors reported.
"Really? Was that his plan?" Admiral Dexter replied before asking, "What about the other ships?"
"Their course hasn't changed sir, they should exit the asteroid field into open space in approximately fourteen minutes."
"Have our fastest small and medium ships pursue them while the remaining fleet will alter course to intercept the Revenge."
"Yes sir"
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[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Is it me or is the large pirate ship turning?]
[Ayato_Kanzaki (Earth): It's not just you, did the streamer just do that on purpose to bait the pirate boss?]
[Devil_Prince_Asura (Deverinian 9): Is something like that even possible? I mean c'mon it's so obvious.]
[Werewolf1987 (Caniniar 4): Maybe she's blinded by rage.]
[adg (Indigo Station): That's all well and good, but now the large class ship is on an intercept course with the streamer.]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): While I love your little trick handsome, I hope you're not planning on attacking the large ship alone.]
[Celebrityhunter69 (Earth): Is the streamer handsome? Have you seen him?]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): Nope but I have a good feeling, also Lorelie said he was pleasant on the eyes. 🤭]
[OfficialLorelie (Imperial Down): BECKY! 🫣]
[Handsome3horns (Vinox 2): Oh shit streamer, better not let her billions of fans find out about this or else. ☠️]
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): ☠️. Kekeke.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): While this is all very entertaining, I think we might want to focus on the stream, the large pirate ship just entered weapons range.]
As Lord Malacross message appeared in the chat they all saw the large pirate ships laser cannons fire towards Spector.
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