Mith

In practicality? Yes. The Echo Papa 607, for all of its advantages and abilities, seemed to be unable to hit main characters. It in fact, had downright terrible aim. I'd want to write it off as just character shields, but the thing seemed to really suck at hitting people. It did at least come close. While using the force would make Vader more formidable than your average joe against the Echo Papa, the fact of the matter is simply making more drones and launching more than one at once would easily solve this problem. ...So what? The first drone is meant to gather intel on the target, not fight it. That's why when it first met Riker it projected itself as someone he knew from the missing ship. Unfortunately for the Echo Papa, the Enterprise could tell that the target wasn't human and so it didn't work out so well for it. It's common enough that Quark mentioned in 'The Jem'Hadar' that he's seen TK inhibitors that were much bulkier than the ones that the Vorta had worn (which wasn't one at all), suggesting that they could in fact, be made and could be made portable. While this itself isn't evidence that the Echo Papa could actively halt Vader's TK, it is worth correcting you on. Please, please God tell me you're joking. The Echo Papa 607 isn't a drone--Jason just sucks at basic English. The Echo Papa 607 is a unit that produces drones, including a larger version capable of attacking and destroying a ship. I honestly don't think Jason intended that to be the case--or at least not the case of him fighting the first, weakest one. That seems a bit odd and silly with his usual threads.

I agree, they'd easily exceed. To start? The Empire's highest canon display of firepower shows us that they can't effortlessly vaporize an asteroid field and that said asteroids make not only effective shields when fighting, but that asteroid fields pose a threat to ships in general, as was the case with Empire Strikes Back. As poorly debate capable as Jason is, he is correct in this matter. So your argument that ISDs are superior is because they have tons of guns? So what? Look at modern navy designs today. After World War II, which showed the US using ships with dozens of gun barrels, we switched to having at most, half a dozen guns--most of which are only designed for defensive measure and one or two for bombardment. If anything, the Empire's gun crazy design is a step back from modern warfare, not a step forward. The Empire is stretched out badly enough due to rebellion from their own people. Making war against anyone, including the Federation or the Klingon Empire would be risk their entire house of cards. Waring with the Dominion ensures it. Even Starfleet, with far far more advanced sensor technology couldn't snoop out Changling infiltrators. And yes, they do have telepaths and empaths, so Vader isn't going to be a miracle shot. ...You're shitting me, right? The Empire will invade because Palpatine will view the Dominion as a threat. The Dominion will invade because they view the Empire as a threat. For fuck's sake dude, they invaded the Federation, who are renown for peace and exploration. They even stay out of other people's business. Yet the Dominion invaded them all the same. That 'measly' Defiant class ships has an armament excess of current Earth. I hardly call that 'measly'. Why in God's name do you actually believe that? The trillions and trillions that they never use or are mentioned. Why? Because the population doesn't want to wage war. It's pretty obvious given that the Old Republic was so against forming their own standing army that they all abhor warfare (somehow). The only time we see the actual population get involved is when their own planet is on the line. They don't care about anything else. And unlike the rest of the stooges that made up the Old Republic's Senate, the Dominion is actually politically capable. They're not going to threaten planets; they're going to offer them things like food, medicine, and protection. And we all saw in the Old Republic lush, green planets had starving populations. Unfortunately, even if we were to believe that the Emperor would be willing to wait, the Dominion won't and they're exceptionally xenophobic. That was a rather large part of their persona throughout all of DS9. How this has suddenly vanished according to you is beyond me. The Dominion is only going to use that time to planet their spies throughout the galaxy. I doubt spies will be all that effective. The Dominion is pretty good in the espionage department and the Empire...the Empire is not. If they had been as remotely competent as you seem to think they are, then they wouldn't have been relying upon searching the entire galaxy for the Rebels. Second, the Empire was stretched badly enough before this. When open rebellion started, they couldn't even spare the ships to shut down the Mon Calamari, despite it being a literal drop in the bucket of their fleet. As in, less than one percent if I remember correctly. Their probe droids suck dragonballs. The Rebels, with inferior sensor technology, were able to detect the thing landing. Those probe droids would be shot out of orbit before they even land. Why on God's green Earth would the Dominion surrender one of their largest advantages? It's simply absurd. Nor does the Dominion actually care if you bomb a few of their member worlds. Because more than one of them are unwilling member of the Dominion. Of course, that won't stop them from using it as a political tool against the Empire even as they dismantle the fleet that attacked them. And you seem to be assuming that the Empire will succeed in this. Do you honestly think this is the first time someone's tried that? Ie, the Obsidian Order and the Tal Shiar tried that. The Dominion knew about it thanks to their changling operatives and turned it into a trap to cripple both agencies. Both of which were far more competent than any Imperial group has shown itself to be.

He's bitching that the game mechanics don't properly represent the actual combat capabilities of the ships they represent.

Trekking to War has been updated with Chapter Four.

Chapter Four Engage Captain’s Log Supplemental Our mission to retrieve Shelby was successful, but first officer Spock was wounded in the process and is in our sickbay, where Doctor McCoy is doing all he can to help him. Meanwhile, I have ordered a five megaton torpedo aimed at Hutt’s compound. According to our sensors, it will not cause any damage to the surrounding settlements. “How is he Bones?†Kirk asked as he walked into the medical bay. Doctor McCoy was at a sink, washing his hands when he looked up to see the captain. “He’s doing well Jim,†McCoy said as he put his hands under the dryer, “We’ve managed to remove most of the shrapnel and with our new dermal regenerator I’ve been able to seal up most of the open wounds.†He gestured to a large dark grey steel machine that stood almost as tall as Kirk with a small white pointed crystal at the end. “A wonder of technology it is,†McCoy said, “I’ve only had it for seven months and I can’t remember how I got along without it.†Kirk smiled, relieved. “Good work Bones. When will he be ready for duty?†“Well, physically he could be up and walking in a few hours,†McCoy said, “But he’ll need a few days for his body to catch up to him. Even for a Vulcan, he was put under a tremendous strain. That grenade hit several of his vital organs. If we hadn’t beamed him up when we had, he might not have made it.†Kirk nodded, “I’ll do my best to keep him down as long as I can doctor.†“He’d obey if you order him.†McCoy pointed out as he started back towards his office. “You know Mister Spock,†Kirk said, “As soon as I tried he’d make some logical argument that backs me into a corner.†McCoy shrugged, “Stubborn necked Vulcan.†Kirk smiled and started to say something, but there was a chirp from a nearby comm. “Sulu to Kirk, Sulu to Kirk, please respond.†Kirk frowned and moved to the comm, opening his side, “Kirk here Mister Sulu. Are you ready to proceed with the bombardment?†“We are sir, but a large ship is moving to intercept. They have ordered that we power down our weapons and shields and prepare to be boarded.†Kirk took in a deep breath. “Very well Mister Sulu, I’ll be right there. Go to yellow alert.†“Aye sir, yellow alert.†“Friends of Mister Hutt?†McCoy asked. “Seems so.†Kirk said. --------------------- The small ship was of a strange design–not that it bothered Captain Motto Gerald; he’d seen thousands of ships with thousands of configurations. What worried him was the fact that they couldn’t scan beyond the ship’s hull. They had no idea how many people were aboard or what sort of creatures were aboard. The Imperial Star Destroyer was supposed to have some of the most advance sensor technologies in the galaxy, yet it seemed somehow smugglers, raiders, and pirates were able to find ways around it. “Distance to ship?†Gerald asked. “Approximately four million kilometers.†his first officer reported. “Still not within weapons range,†Gerald grumbled. He tapped his foot and then nodded, “Have they powered down as ordered?†“No sir.†the tactical officer said. “They might be preparing to make a hyperspace jump.†the commander said. “This close to a planet?†Gerald asked in disbelief. “A ship that large would tear itself apart.†“Their only chance would be to put distance between them and the planet before escaping.†the tactical officer said. Gerald nodded. It was the best choice the small frigate ship would have. “Launch fighters and bombers.†he said. “Order them to target the engines. If they attempt to escape, disable them.†“Aye sir.†the commander reported, “launching fighters.†A few moments later and the commander turned to him, “Sir, the ship is responding to our hail. They wish to speak with you sir.†Gerald put on a smug smile. The filthy pirates saw the screen of fighters and bombers heading their way. They wouldn’t escape and they knew they couldn’t match the firepower of an Imperial Star Destroyer. They wanted to negotiate. “Put it on the holo-imager.†he said, turning to the large round holographic display. The image of the small ship, the fighters, and the Merciful vanished to be replaced by the upper body of a man in his thirties wearing a yellow shirt, with a arrow-head insignia on his left breast. “This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation Starship Enterprise,†the man said. “Greetings captain,†Gerald sneered, taking in the moment, “Your ship has committed a criminal offense against the Hutt Clan–and thus you have committed an offense against the Empire. You will surrender to us immediately, where upon you and your commanding officers will be executed for treason and your crew taken as prisoners of war.†“I will do no such thing.†the captain said. “This Hutt Clan you speak of kidnaped one of my officers and exposed her to torture and rape.†Gerald flinched at the accusation. It was rather well known that the Hutt Clan was a criminal syndicate that had gained large influence over the past century by exploiting shit holes like Tatooine. The Empire however, despite its massive navy and military power, could not root them out. Not while terrorists and usurpers still plotted to gain control of the Empire from within. “Then you should have contacted the Imperial Slave Authority,†Gerald said, “They would have set the matter straight.†That was a lie, Gerald knew. The Imperial Slave Authority was little more than a small agency designed to monitor the transaction of slavery, not get mixed up in it. Only when a high profile senator was kidnaped or someone with some authority had lost someone to the practice was every anything actually done about it–though the Empire made every show with the Hutt Clan to make it look as if they were civilizing the outer worlds. “We didn’t know.†the captain said. “Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.†Gerald said, relieved that the captain didn’t know to challenge him. “You will surrender your vessel or we will take it by force.†The man’s face grew stone cold. “You will not take this ship,†he said, “Not while I remain captain.†Gerald grinned, “Take a look around you captain, you are nearly surrounded by our fighters and bombers. Within moments you will be cut off from escape.†“Captain,†the man said, “This ship is armed and ready to defend herself.†The captain scoffed and turned to his tactical officer, “Analysis of their weapon systems.†“We detect four torpedo launchers of some sort.†the officer reported, “and four energy cannons. I haven’t seen this sort of configuration before.†The captain let out a chuckle, “Eight in total. Is that what you believe can take on an Imperial Star Destroyer captain? Look at our ship; it is armed to the teeth with guns. And in half a minute, I will open fire with everything we’ve got. You have until we come within weapons range to surrender captain.†“Then we have nothing more to discuss.†the captain said and suddenly, his image vanished. Gerald shook his head and took in a deep breath. “Distance?†“One hundred twenty-two kilometers sir.†“Excellent,†Gerald said, “When we are within range, order our fighters and bombers to engage.†“Aye sir.†Kirk stared at the massive warship. It was well over a kilometer long, armed to teeth in weapons and no doubt carrying a large number of support craft. It was shaped like a wedged dagger, with a great control bridge overseeing the rest of the ship from the back. In a way, they reminded Kirk of the old style carriers that Earth used before they had moved out into space. The troops on the ship must have been ten times larger than the Enterprise security force. If it came down to a fight aboard the ship, they wouldn’t stand a chance. “Scotty, what’s the status on our weapons?†Kirk asked from the bridge. “I’ve got all the phaser banks up and aft launcher number two.†Scotty said, “But the phaser banks are low powered and targeting sensors are still having trouble marking anything beyond twenty thousand klicks.†Kirk nodded. That was a massive tactical disadvantage. “Sulu, tactical analysis.†“She’s armed to the teeth sir,†Sulu reported, “I’m reading half a dozen heavy plasma turrets and dozens of other smaller ones, including what appears to be ion cannons–but all low yield sir.†“Aye sir,†Scotty said from his station, “They’re using a two decade old fusion reactor to power their ship. Why, the NX-01 had a better engine than this thing.†“Are you saying that these people are over a century behind us in weapons technology?†Kirk asked. “Aye sir.†“But with a ship that large, it could still be a threat.†Sulu warned. “Especially in our condition.†Kirk nodded, “Noted Mister Chekov. Analysis of their defensive capabilities?†“Their armor is incredibly thick,†Chekov said, “But their shield grid is low powered. Maximum dissipation rate is just over ten petajoules. Shield recharge rate is by my guess, roughly two petajoules.†Kirk frowned, “A single photon torpedo would puncture their shield and still have enough to scorch the hull.†“They’re moving into weapons range.†Sulu warned. “Hail them.†“They aren’t responding sir.†Uhura said, “They’ve begun to jam our communications. We can’t get a word out.†“Damn them.†Kirk growled. “Then let’s show them just who’ve they’ve picked a fight with. Sulu, lock forward phasers onto them. Fire when ready.†“Ready sir.†“Fire!†“Weapon range in two seconds,†tactical reported. Gerald nodded, “Prepare to drop us to one fourth speed, All gunners, prepare to...†Suddenly, two bright blue lances erupted from just under the hull of the ship, striking the Merciful’s forward shields. The ship rocked gently. “Direct hit sir.†tactical reported, “Shields down by five percent. Minor thermal damage to the hull.†Gerald frowned. How did they penetrate their shields? He snarled. “All weapons, fire!†The Merciful dipped its pointed hull downwards as it came in, allowing all of its heavy guns to focus on the small ship. Lime green bolts of plasma speed through space towards the small ship. To Gerald’s astonishment, the ship quickly maneuvered out of the way of the bulk of the volley, returning fire with its small blue lances. The Merciful shuddered again. “Minor shield loss.†the commander reported, “But we’re reading more thermal damage.†“How are they penetrating our shields?†Gerald asked. “It appears that their weapons are similar in concept to disruptor technology.†the commander reported. “Our shields can’t block disruptors.†Gerald said, nodding. He looked at the small ship, “But how did they get something like those? They shouldn’t even be able to properly power them.†“They may not be able to sir,†the commander said, “Only a small portion of the energy pushed its way into the shields.†Gerald laughed, “Alright, they’ve spat their wad. All fighters and bombers move in!†“Their attack craft is moving in sir!†Checkov yelled. “Use detonation blasts.†Kirk said. The Enterprise fired several of small blue pulses through space. Designed much in the way as the Romulan plasma torpedoes, the energy was held within a expiring containment field until it reached its destination–and exploded. Kirk watched as the small fighters and bombers were blasted into oblivion–nothing but heated shrapnel flying through space. The Enterprise shuddered as plasma bolts connected to her shield grid. “Minor damage to the shields sir.†Scotty reported. “Return fire Chekov.†“Gladly sir.†The Enterprise’s forward phaser banks fired, racking enemy ship’s forward hull. Kirk watched the energy readouts on the screen shudder slightly. Despite the Enterprise’s superior technology, the damage it had received had left it vulnerable. Despite that, he saw the hull heat up around the area the phaser beams had impacted. They were doing some damage to the hull, but it wasn’t enough. “Scotty, is there any way you can coax more power from the phaser’s energizers?†“Not without blowing it out sir.†Scotty reported. “Target their weapon batteries,†Kirk said, “The large ones. See if we can dissuade them from firing.†“Aye sir.†Chekov said. The Merciful shuddered under the light disruptor fire from the small pirate ship. The first wave of bombers had been scattered by a sort of pulse explosion. The few remaining ones had moved in to attack, but were quickly swatted away by the ship’s weapons. That bothered Gerald more than anything; never before had he seen weapons capable of such accuracy. And from the ship’s main weapons too! Suddenly, the Merciful shook terribly, hurling the captain to the ground. He rolled until he hit the side of the wall. Cursing, he struggled to get to his feet as the ship shook violently yet again. “Report!†he screamed. “They’ve hit two of our heavy turbolaser turrets.†someone shouted, “Port turret one and two are destroyed, turret three is not responding!†“Emergency repair teams to turret three!†Gerald roared as he rushed back to the tactical console, “How did they penetrate the armor?†“They hit one of the low-key armored areas of the turrets,†the commander reported, “At the base where the turret meets the hull. The heated armor broke the plasma mains and it ignited. I’m reading heavy damage to decks below and near it. Recommend we evacuate those sections.†“Do it,†Gerald said, “But do whatever you can to keep turret three active.†“They’re trying to hail us sir.†the communications officer reported, “It’s scrambled, but I think they’re demanding out surrender.†Gerald spat in the officer’s direction, “Send second and third wave bombers. I want that ship destroyed!†“They are ignoring hails captain,†Urhura said. “Can they hear us?†“Aye sir,†Scotty said, “It’d be a mess, but they’d get the gist of it sir.†“Second and third wave of fighters coming in sir.†Chekov said. “Orders?†“Dispose of them Mister Chekov.†Kirk said heavily. “Firing phasers.†The Enterprise fire four pulses at the oncoming waves and within seconds, the bulk of them had been vaporized. Roughly a quarter had remained. Desperate, they were opening fire, green pulses of plasma and bright white torpedoes filled space inbetween. The Enterprise barely shuddered. “Low yield bombs sir,†Sulu reported, “About a quarter kiloton.†“Ignore them.†Kirk said, “Target their mother ship. Target the starboard forward turrets.†“Targeted sir.†“Fire.†The Enterprise fired its forward phasers. It struck the base of the turrets, heating the metal and causing the plasma conduits within to explode, destroying the turret and damaging the one next to it. “Target the third turret,†Kirk said, suddenly struck with an idea, “That should keep the remaining two from firing.†“Aye sir.†“Starboard turret is destroyed sir,†the commander reported as he struggled to his feet, “Starboard turret number two has suffered heavy damage.†The ship shuddered violently again. “Shit!†the tactical officer screamed. “What!†Gerald yelled. “They destroyed starboard turret three–turrets four and two are offline. Power systems on the affected decks is fluctuating sir.†“Status of their shields?†Gerald asked. “Shield output is nine percent lower than when the battle started,†the tactical officer reported. “What’s the status of our shields?†Gerald asked. “Nearly full power sir,†the commander said, “But if those disruptors keep targeting our weapons, we won’t be able to hurt them. They’ll just keep firing until our shield generators overheat.†“I want maximum power to forward shields,†Gerald snapped, “Double front, understood?†The commander frowned, “Sir?†“Ready our concussion torpedoes.†Gerald said, a savage grin growing over his face, “Take us as close as we can get. I don’t want to give them time to escape.†The Merciful shuddered again. “Port turret four is out.†the tactical officer reported. “Captain, this is insane!†the commander snapped, “Each of those torpedoes carries a yield of eight megatons! You risk crippling the Merciful!†“And them as well!†Gerald purred. “Once their shield is down, we’ll tear them apart!†he turned to the helm station, “Full speed! I want us within five klicks of the Enterprise a minute ago!†“Aye sir!†“Reading an increase in their engines sir.†Sulu reported. “They may be trying to ram us.†Chekov warned. “They’d never catch us.†Sulu said, “They must know by now we can fly circles around them.†“Or they may be trying to escape.†Kirk said. “Bring us to a parallel course, fifty kilometers.†“They’re moving too fast sir,†Sulu said, “They’ll pass within twelve kilometers of us.†“That’s fine Mister Sulu.†Kirk said. “Sir, reading power increase in their forward launchers!†Chekov yelled. “Those things are too large to target us.†Sulu said. “But not from ten klicks!†Kirk yelled. “Evasive manuervers!†The Enterprise’s impulse engines flared as she desperately tried to evade the bright white torpedoes as they flew right towards them. The Enterprise twisted, narrowly escaping two of the torpedoes, struck by a third, and glanced by a fourth as it detonated half a klick away. The Enterprise shuddered violently, warning claxons sounding as consoles sparked and exploded. For a brief moment, Kirk had thought that the ship itself had been torn apart. But the moment passed as the shaking stopped and the Enterprise sat in one piece. “Damage report!†he yelled. “Heavy damage to our screens sir!†Scotty reported, “Starboard arch is down to twenty-five percent. Other archs holding at roughly thirty-five. We suffered some heavy thermal damage to the hull when that torpedo exploded, but nothing we can’t handle.†“Status of other ship?†Kirk asked. “They diverted their aft shields to forward to compensate sir,†Chekov said, “Their aft grid is burnt out. Their forward shields are at eighty-two percent. Reading heavy thermal damage to their hull.†Kirk sat forward, “Put three hundred kilometers between us and the Merciful. If they fire, return fire.†“They’re moving away sir.†the tactical officer said. “We’re reading their shields as low sir.†Gerald grinned. “Trying to run away, eh? Commander, order all remaining gunners to open fire on the Enterprise. Scramble whatever fighters and bombers we have and order them to intercept. They’re not getting away after all this!†The Merciful’s remaining batteries opened fire. The smaller ships danced around the incoming fire, evading much of it, but taking several heavy strikes as it pulled away. “Their aft shields are holding sir.†the tactical officer reported. “Damn!†Gerald cursed. If they didn’t take advantage of the damage they’d done to the small ship, then they’d never get another chance. They weren’t going to let them get that close again. The bombardment torpedoes would never catch them and their fighters didn’t carry the necessary ordinance to take out a ship that powerful. A smile came to his face; they had something they didn’t though; back up. “Request that the Devastator move to assist us.†Gerald said. “Order all Imperial ships within range to engage the Enterprise.†“Aye sir.†“They’re returning fire sir.†“Brace for impact!†Gerald screamed. The small ship’s aft weapons fired several quick lances at the Merciful, each striking at the exposed turrets. They all exploded as the plasma conduits ruptured. Gerald watch as more damage report screens appeared on the holographic display. Power shortages were spread throughout the ship and radiation levels were starting to rise to dangerous levels. “Hazard teams are responding sir.†the commander reported. “Sir,†Sulu said, “I’m detecting four more ships moving to intercept. They appear to be frigates of some sort.†“On screen.†Kirk said. They were small, triangular, shaped similar to a sword. Their long wings were like hilts, and their forward hull, the blade. Kirk noticed at least a dozen different weapon placements like the larger warship, the Merciful. Unlike the Merciful, they were a fraction of the ship’s length, barely larger than the Enterprise herself, and not even a tenth of a fraction its mass. They were already opening fire, bright hot green plasma filling the screen. The Enterprise casually moved out of the way. It was clear they were just trying to diver attention from the crippled Merciful. “Their shields are no match for our phasers sir,†Chekov reported, “A few good shots should cripple them.†“Do it.†Kirk said, wondering what their game was. The Enterprise’s forward phasers illuminated space, striking the first frigate and burning away a few meters of the hull. The Enterprise fired again, this time cutting through the hull as if it were made of butter. The third time and the Enterprise ducked low, firing at one of the small black cylinders that were the engines. There was an explosion and the ship was thrown off course, forcing the other three ships to make rapid course corrections. “We are moving within their optimal range sir.†Sulu warned. “Noted.†The ships began to open fire with greater ferocity, forcing the Enterprise to weave around them as it fired its phasers, carving the ships up with near relative ease. Within a minute, the four ships were crippled and burning, barely holding their own against the singular Federation cruiser. The Enterprise shuttered. “The Merciful is moving back within weapons range sir.†Chekov reported. “I think we’ve had just about enough of them,†Kirk said. “Mister Chekov, prepare a photon torpedo. Fifty percent yield. Target their forward shields. Let’s give them a wake-up call.†“Aye sir.†“They’re firing a torpedo.†the commander warned. “What type?†the captain asked. “Warhead unknown sir,†the commander said. “I recommend evasive maneuvers.†Gerald flinched. The Imperial Star Destroyer was a beast in battle, but it maneuvered like a beached whale with all their flippers missing. “Do it.†he barked. “And increase power to forward shields.†The Merciful had but begun to flare up its thrusters when the torpedo hit. The explosion rocked the Merciful, throwing Gerald over the holographic display. He landed with a loud crunch. The captain wanted to scream in pain, but bit down on his lips to stop himself. Blood oozing from his lower lip, he dragged himself up. “Shields are nearly gone!†he heard someone yell, “Massive hull rupture on forward decks!†The captain made his way over to the holographic display; The tip of the Merciful had been vaporized and a scorch mark ran across the hull for nearly fifty meters. The forward shields readout was fluctuating between zero and nine percent as the secondary shield generators tried to take over. Gerald looked to the frigates that were now desperately giving all their worth against the Enterprise, trying to prevent the loss of the Merciful–but the Enterprise was responding with brutal strikes, destroying one of the ships and disabling main power on the other two. The last was using the hulls of the former to try and prevent the Enterprise from pin pointing the weaknesses in the ship’s defenses. “Sir, the Devastator is responding to our requests for aid!†the communication officer reported. “She and two Victory frigates are moving to engage the enemy now.†Gerald turned to the screen to see that it was true. The Devastator and her aid ships were already moving in close to engage the Enterprise, running as fast as they could to the battle. Already the Enterprise as adjusting itself to move to engage. “Sir, the Avenger is emerging from hyperspace.†the comm officer reported. “Signal them to move in and assist.†Gerald said eagerly. “Second warship moving into attack posture.†Chekov warned. “This is starting to look like an unfriendly place gentlemen.†Kirk said. “Long range sensors are reading the arrival of another ship and a dozen other small vessels...it appears to be a fleet sir.†Urhura reported. “We can’t take them all sir,†Scotty said, “Not in this condition.†“I don’t think we can outrun them though.†Sulu said. “Our warp engines are still damaged.†“We don’t know that.†Kirk said. “They still have primitive fusion drives. Scotty, how much power do you predict they can get from them?†Scotty shrugged, “Assuming they don’t have any sort of enhanced warp field coils that we don’t, warp one, maybe warp two sir.†“How mucn can you coax from the engines Scotty?†Kirk asked. “Warp three sir, best I can give you right now.†Kirk nodded, “Do it. If we’re lucky, they won’t be able to follow us for long.†“Aye sir, setting course.†“One more thing.†Kirk said. “Prepare a torpedo for the aft launcher. Five megatons. I wouldn’t want Mister Fett to think that we’ve forgotten about him.†“The ship is breaking off sir.†the commander reported. “It’s trying to escape!†Gerald roared. “The Devastator will not reach it in time.†tactical said. “Full power to engines!†Gerald said, “We’re not letting them escape after all this! Have all remaining batteries target their engine in concentrated bursts. With luck, we might be able to break through.†“Aye sir.†The Merciful’s batteries opened fire, pounding at the aft shields of the retreating Enterprise. The Enterprise returned fire, carving long patterns into the Merciful’s armor. Sparks erupted from the consoles and lights began to flicker. Countless damage reports starting coming in all over the ship, but Gerald ignored them, focused entirely on keeping the Enterprise there long enough for the Devastator to finish the job. It seemed though, that the Enterprise was finally done playing games. Two blue lances struck a hundred meters from the base of the tower bridge, burning their way into the Merciful’s thick hull. Gerald gasped in horror as he watched the phasers cut their way to the heart of the ship’s reactor. Gerald heard–no, felt the explosion. He was thrown onto his ass, watching as entire sections of the Merciful began to break apart. “Reactor is suffering a critical failure!†the commander yelled. “If we don’t shut it down, the Merciful is going to explode!†“If we shut it down, the Enterprise will escape!†Gerald roared as he leapt to his feet. “Keep pursuing! Give me every gigajoule to the engines!†“We have eighty seconds before the reactor tears us apart!†the commander snapped, “Sir, as first officer, I recommend that we power down our reactor.†“And lose the Enterprise?†Gerald said, “I am not going to explain that to Lord Vader!†“If you don’t,†the commander yelled, “Then you will be explaining how you lost the Enterprise and the Merciful to Vader!†That snapped Gerald out of his insanity. He slowly nodded, “Commander, shut down the main reactor. Emergency hazard and repair teams to damaged sections. Inform medical bay to expect heavy casualties.†The commander nodded, obviously relieved. “Aye sir, I’m ordering the engineers to shut down the reactor.†Gerald looked at the display as the Enterprise broke away from them and the pursuing Devastator. Then to his horror, he saw as the ship fired another one of its torpedoes. It was moving fast; far too fast for the Merciful to evade even if its engines were working at full capacity. His heart stopped as the torpedo closed in. He looked out the observation window of the bridge, watching as the brilliant blue sphere charged straight at them–and passed by. It missed by a full five meters over the control bridge. Gerald watched, almost in disbelief as the torpedo kept flying. It seems that fate had found him fortunate. Boba watched as Slave I ascended into the atmosphere of Tatooine, her engines roaring as she put as much distance between her and Jaba’s Palace as its engines could. He had awoken some time after Kirk had struck him, in unbelievable agony. His jaw and nose were broken, several of his ribs were broken, and the gods know what else was broken. But he was alive–that’s all that mattered. And when he found that son of a bitch, he’d make him regret ever setting foot on Tatooine. Slave I had just passed out of the cloud layer when a bright blue pulse flew by him. He groaned and adjusted the sensor on the back to give him a feed of what the object was. It looked terribly similar to the energy weapons that the Enterprise had used on the palace. But to his horror, the advance sensors on Slave I found it to be a torpedo of some sort, with a strange energy signature that it didn’t recognize. It detonated a few kilometers above the palace and within seconds a great big ball of fire erupted from the clouds below Slave I, flattening against the ceiling of the sky, just meters below Boba. His heart still thumping, Boba frantically scanned for the Enterprise, but to his relief, it had fled. The space above him was filled of Imperial ships–five of which, including an Imperial Star Destroyer, were in the worst shape he had ever seen an Imperial ship in. Boba was starting to get the feeling that this ‘Starfleet’–whatever it was, was a great deal more dangerous than he had given them credit for.

To be fair, a megaton warhead tends to kill most people.

I just posted chapter three and I've done some work on chapter four. Sorry for the delay. Well, he's the same guy who as a child, was persuaded to destroy a ship just to kill the guy who killed his father. I would presume that he's probably pretty fucked up as an adult. EDIT To explain myself more clearly. Boba clearly does a great deal of jobs for Jabba and he clearly spends more than a few weeks at a time at his palace or at some sort of Jabba owned facility. And we all know how much Jabba loves his slaves. Slavery is in fact, common on Tatooine if I recall correctly. Boba has probably had his own share of such women. Now to be fair, the ones he probably takes to bed most often have probably been slaves for some time now and have been broken down to the point where having someone as handsome as Boba is probably a highlight of their day, compared to say, Greedo. So the concept of taking women against their will isn't all that evil for someone like Boba. For the culture he has been dropped into, it's probably not all that bad. I mean, Anakin's stepfather basically bought his mother. I mean, he was a good guy and treated her right, but that doesn't change the fact that this is clearly acceptable on their planet. So long as it's a slave. On the other hand, I will admit that I really just did it out of the fact that I have a rather sadistic streak. If any of you doubt me, ask Aratech if he has a copy of the page-long recommendation to how to break down someone playing a Lawful Stupid Paladin. It's rather inspiring I think. All said and done however, I did take into account that this would be a reasonable thing that Boba might do, given his cultural background. Remember that in some cultures (albiet more...barbaric), raping a woman isn't always a crime. In the case of a Greek myth regarding the god of the sea, he raped a priestess named Medusa of the goddess of war in her own temple. The woman however, was the one that the goddess punished by turning her into a gorgon. That's not to say, that under any condition that I approve or support anything like this. I'm simply pointing out some rather...disturbing facts of human history.

Chapter Three Consequences “Firing sequence complete,†Styles reported, “Columbia has landed and is dropping off away team.†“Monitor them,†Sulu said. “Sir,†Styles said, “Six ships in orbit have responded to our attacks. They’re powering their weapons and raising shields.†“Tactical analysis?†“Sensors suggest some type of raider or patrol ship,†Styles said, “They’re no match for us sir.†“Signal them to stand down,†he turned to an engineer, “Shield status?†“Shields are at nineteen percent sir,†he reported. “Great,†Sulu muttered. “They’re not answering hails sir,†Uhura said. “Phasers?†“Phaser banks one and three are operational, but we only have one forward launcher.†Styles said grimly. “Raise shields, prepare firing solution.†Sulu said, “Urhura, inform the captain.†The bridge crew leapt into action, “Captain gives his approval for whatever force you deem necessary to defend the Enterprise,†Uhura said. “Firing solution complete,†Styles said. “Fire!†The Enterprise’s forward phaser bank spat half a dozen quick lances of blue light, nailing each of the ships turning them into spinning balls of fire. Sulu shook his head as he sat back, watching the balls of flame descend down to the large stretch of desert that covered the planet. ----------------------- “Put this in there too.†Ben said, tossing him a fusion lamp. “Do we really need all this stuff?†Luke asked as he stuffed lamp into the trunk. “We have to be prepared,†Ben said as he rummaged through some old things, “The journey is long to the Degaba System.†“The Degaba-what?†Luke asked. “You’ll see,†Ben said as he pulled handed Luke another bundle of clothes. “What about my father?†Luke asked, “You promised to tell me about my father.†Ben paused, seeming as if he were ten years older, “Yes…I suppose I did.†“My uncle never told me much about him,†Luke said. “I imagine that he wouldn’t,†Ben said, shaking his head, “He was a good man…but a little too stiff neck for my tastes.†“What do you mean?†Luke asked. “He never wanted you to learn that your father was a Jedi Knight.†Ben said. “A Jedi? My dad?†Luke asked. Ben smiled, “Yes, your father was my apprentice.†“You’re a Jedi?†Luke asked, his eyes widening. Ben smiled, “Of course.†“And you trained my father?†Ben smiled, “Yes…he was my greatest apprentice. The best that the order had ever seen.†“But my uncle told me that my father died,†Luke said. “He did,†Ben said, his eyes going to the floor, “…Darth Vader. He was another apprentice of mine. He had fallen to the dark side. He murdered your father and betrayed me.†“Why?†Luke asked. Ben shook his head, “He thought that he could solve his problems with power—and the dark side offered it to him.†“What happened to him?†Luke asked. “He’s alive—or as alive as a man like him can be,†Ben said, “He serves the Emperor now.†------------------------ “Do whatever is necessary to protect the Enterprise,†Kirk said into the communicator, his eyes locked onto the counter of the elevator as they descended deep. “Are the transporters up yet?†“Not yet sir,†Uhura said, “Mister Scott says that it’ll take at least another fifteen minutes.†“He has nine,†Kirk said. “Aye sir.†“Kirk out,†Kirk said, flipping the communicator closed. “Are you sure that was wise Jim?†Bones asked, “If they traced that signal…†“It is likely that they already know we activated one of their lifts,†Spock said, “Assuming their security measures are anything like ours.†“A good thing to assume,†Kirk said. “We are approaching the level of what I believe to be the cells,†Spock reported, “My sensor readings indicate that there are a dozen life forms gathering near the lift doors.†Kirk nodded, “They’re hoping to ambush us,†he said, “Everyone, away from the doors. When these doors open, they’re going to fire at us with everything they’ve got.†Acting quickly, they all pressed themselves flat against the wall, “What are we going to do like this Captain?†Jason asked, “We won’t be able to return fire like this.†“Stun grenades,†Kirk said, “Everyone. Take them out and when these doors open, toss them out as quickly and as hard as you can. If we’re lucky, we should get all of them.†“Nine seconds.†Spock warned as he let his tricorder hang and pulled out a stun grenade, “We will have to make this count.†Kirk pulled out his own grenade and watched as everyone else readied their own, his heart pounding against his cage. He counted the last few agonizingly slow seconds. With a soft ding, the doors opened. In unison, they all tossed out five small silver cylinders through a dark hallway where over a dozen men stood readied with assault rifles. Red bolts erupted through the air and hit the back of the lift wall, quickly burning several dozen black craters into it, melting away a large circular hole into the thin metal walls and burning the metal shaft behind it. Multiple flashes went off then, followed by cries of agony. Silence filled the air. “Everyone out!†Kirk yelled, quickly dashing out of cover, his eyes scanning for anyone still standing. One man stood at the farthest end of the downed pack, grabbing at his head and stumbling around like a drunkard. Kirk didn’t hesitate; he shot the man in the chest and dropped him like a sack of bricks, then hurried into the hall. “I am not detecting anymore life signs in the corridor,†Spock reported, “But I cannot be sure. We must approach with caution.†“Can you find Shelby?†Kirk asked. “No sir,†Spock said, “but the area is not large. I suggest we split into teams.†Kirk nodded, “Good plan. Jason and Spock will head down the left corridor. Thomas and Bones, you take the right. I’ll take the one down the middle.†“Captain, I must cite protocol regarding…†“Not now Mister Spock.†Kirk said, continuing ahead, “Maintain radio silence unless you find Shelby or meet with considerable resistance. Is that clear?†“Yes sir.†Both his officers answered. Kirk walked ahead, his eyes and ears searching for any sign of an enemy. As he passed by the first few cells, he noted half a dozen in each. Many were tough-looking aliens with scars, missing limbs, and even eyes or tongues. No doubt merchants or enemies who had crossed the crime lord, he guessed. Ignoring them, he pressed on, deeper into the hallways. As he approached near the end of the area however, he began to find less and less tough looking characters and more women who were clearly pleasure slaves. The last cell however, contained Shelby, lying on the ground sobbing; wearing what little remained of her uniform. Kirk felt his face go red with rage even as relief washed over him that she was alive. He ran to the panel next to the cell and quickly deactivated the force-field holding her in. “Lieutenant Shelby,†he said, dropping to her side. She looked up at him in a mixture of confusion and amazement, “C-Captain?†“Can you walk?†he asked, “We need to get you out of here.†“I—Y-yes, yes I think so.†“Good,†Kirk said, helping her to her feet, “I promise lieutenant, I’ll make them pay for this,†he said. He reached for his communicator, flipped it open, and opened a channel, but before he could speak, he heard Spock’s voice. “Captain,†he said, “We are under attack, it seems that Miser Fett is attempt to secure the lieutenant.†“I have her,†Kirk said, “You and Jason fall back to the main hallway. We’ll meet you there. That goes for you too Bones.†“Aye sir.†Spock said. “Sir,†McCoy said, “What about these aliens? We can’t just leave them—†“You can and you will Doctor,†Kirk said, “the Prime Directive still applies.†“…Yes sir.†Kirk flipped his communicator shut, “Let’s go,†he said. Shelby nodded and the two of them took off down the hall. From far off, he could hear the sound of plasma bolts filling the air and the occasional sound of a phaser returning fire. Moments later, they reached the crossing. “Get to the lift,†he instructed the lieutenant, “I’ll wait for the others.†“Yes sir.†Kirk took a deep breath and took a position near the left wall, leaning out just far enough to see. Smoke had already filled the air, making it difficult to see. A figure came around the corner. To the captain’s relief, it was Spock, running flat down the hallway and ducking around the corner. “Captain,†Spock said, “I am being pursued.†“Jason?†he asked. “Dead,†Spock said, “He took five plasma rounds to his back when two of Mister Fett’s men flanked us.†“Captain!†McCoy yelled as he and Thomas came up, “What the hell is going on?†“Trouble,†Kirk said, he gestured to Shelby, “Tend to her, Thomas, take up Mister Spock’s position.†The security officer quickly relived Spock of his post, then Kirk gestured for the Vulcan to come to his side, “These cells all seem to be operating on a force field, am I correct?†he asked. “That is correct sir,†he said. “Is there a way for us to disrupt the power flow?†Kirk asked, “If we can release the inhabitants, perhaps they might provide a distraction long enough for us—†Kirk was cut off by a string of plasma bolts that rang down the corridor. Cursing, Kirk drew back behind the wall, then back out just enough to return fire with his phaser rifle. He caught one man in the leg and another two men in the chest before falling back as more men appeared through the smoke. “We can’t stay here Jim!†McCoy yelled. Kirk nodded, “Everyone back into the lift!†he yelled. Grabbing his last stun grenade, he pressed the charge button, ricocheted it off the wall. A split second later, a loud bang and a flash filled the corridor. He signaled the ensign across. The ensign made a quick dash, narrowly avoiding three plasma bolts. They four of them then fell back to the lift. The door closed just as two men emerged into the hallway and opened fire. The lift began to move upwards, far, far away from danger. “Mister Spock?†he asked. “I have locked the controls at the bottom of the lift and I do not detect any life forms near the top,†he said. Kirk nodded, then turned to Shelby, who stood in the corner of the lift with McCoy. After whispering something into her ear, he moved over to Kirk, “She’s traumatized Jim,†he said quietly, “but she’ll live.†Kirk felt himself go stiff, “Good.†He whispered back. “We need to get her back to the ship sir,†McCoy said, “What that barbarian did is going to scar her for the rest of her life.†“He’ll pay for it,†he said, “I promise you that much.†***** Wermis watched as the Devastator’s forward batteries barraged the small Blockade Runner. Numerous holes covered the small ship’s hull, burnt and torn away by laser fire. The Devastator was slowly closing the gap. “Keep the heavy cannons trained on them Commander,†Vader said, “If they show the first hint of escaping, I want them vaporized.†“They cannot escape us Lord Vader,†Wermis said, letting a slight hint of annoyance slip into his voice, “Their hyperdrive sustained heavy damage. They will not be able to escape us.†“Do not let your arrogance cloud you Captain,†Vader warned, “If they escape, it will be you who explains this failure to the Emperor.†Wermis swallowed; the Emperor was not forgiving to those who failed him, “They will not escape my lord.†“Captain,†the Commander reported, “The Merciful has entered the system, they will arrive in fifteen minutes.†Wermis snorted; Vader never trusted him to do anything, “Very good Commander,†he said, “We suspect there may be troops dirtside, advise them to be ready for a ground assault.†“There’s…err, one more thing Captain.†Wermis gave him a curious look; he didn’t like the sound of the Commander’s voice, “What is it?†he snapped. “We’ve received a distress signal from Lord Jabba,†the Commander said, “He says that he has come under attack from pirates. He’s requesting immediate assistance.†Wermis snorted, “Ignore him, we have better things to do than to worry about Jabba’s problems.†“Belay that order Commander,†Vader said, stepping forward, “The Emperor and the Hutts have a standing peace treaty. Order the Merciful to engage their attackers and prepare for any further assistance. We will handle the ground assault.†“My Lord,†Wermis said, “With all due respect, we should secure the planet before running to help the Hutts. The Eclipse and the Avenger will be here in fourty-three minutes, one of them could handle…†“My orders have been given Commander,†Vader said, ignoring Wermis, “Carry them out.†“Y-yes Lord Vader.†The Commander said, casting a nervous and apologetic look to Wermis. Wermis nodded, then turned and started down the bridge, ignoring the eyes of the mechanical monster at his back. “Their shields have failed my Lord,†he said moving to a panel and tapping instructions, “Storm Troopers will be meeting them at the hatch.†“Very good,†Lord Vader said, turning to leave, “I will see to it personally.†Wermis felt himself go pale, “That…that won’t be necessary my Lord.†He said. “It will.†Was all the Sith Lord said before he vanished through the doors. Wermis cursed under his breath. ***** “They’ve escaped,†one of the guards told Boba. Boba responded by putting a plasma bolt through the man’s neck, “Wrong answer,†he snarled. He came to a halt at the lift, scowling. He’d never make it back up in time. He tapped the comm. on his arm, “This is Boba,†he said, “The intruders are heading back to the main level. Stop them at all costs. If they escape, their ship is going to fry us, understood?†He then switched to Jabba’s sanctuary, “Hey eggheads,†he said, “As soon as that lift stops, wait ten seconds and then send it back down, clear?†“We’re still having trouble overriding it sir.†“Do it or your dead.†“Y-yes sir.†He closed the channel and stared up at the indicator. He counted the seconds until it stopped, then counted to ten. Nothing happened. He opened his channel, “Where is it?†he demanded. “We’re trying sir…just a few more seconds.†“In a few more seconds I’m going to make my way to you and but a blaster hole through your—†The indicator started to decline, “Its coming sir!†the engineer squealed from the other end of the comm. “Good boy,†he said, “keep the channel open. When I say ‘up’ send the lift to the top floor, is that clear?†“Yes sir.†The doors opened and Boba and three men rushed in. The bounty hunter quickly punched in the main floor and watched as the indicator grew higher. His hands eagerly caressed the pistols at his side. This would have to be quick and clean. If he got bogged down, he’d be dead. Their captain would be sure to see to that. “Set your weapons to stun,†he said, “I don’t want any of you idiots killing the girl by accident.†The men quickly adjusted their weapons. “What about you boss?†one of them asked. “Shut up.†The doors opened. Already a firefight had broken out. Boba could see a man in blue holding one of their strange weapons was ducking down next to the woman, firing over the side to keep the security forces at bay. From the far right were blue energy beams leaping out, no doubt the location of their enemies. At the sight of the two, the man in the blue cursed and fired. Boba threw himself to the side, allowing the blue beam to catch his fellow in the chest. The man screamed and fell back, a large hole burned into his chest. The other two men growled and fired, catching the man in the chest with two round blue energy pulses, dropping him. The woman screamed, but another volley silenced her as well. “Forward!†Boba barked as he rushed and grabbed the girl, “Get her to the ship,†he told one of the men, then to the other, “Hold them off.†They weren’t two paces when he heard the man scream a warning. Boba turned and fired blindly; forcing a long eared man I blue to roll out of the way. Cursing, Boba reached for a detonator and threw it down the hall. It exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere. He ran into the lift, “Up!†he yelled, “Up!†The doors closed and the lift started to ascend once more, “We’re going to my ship,†he told the man, “Tie her up and put her in the cargo hold,†he instructed him, “We’re getting the hell out of here.†“Aye sir.†The woman slowly started to stir awake. Boba pointed his pistol square in her face, “Good to have you back honey,†he purred, “Now you’re going to come nice and easy or I’m going to blow your head wide open, understand?†The woman quivered. Boba grinned behind his helmet, “Thata girl,†he said, “I’ll be sure to repay your Captain for what he’s done. And I’m sure Jabba is going to have a go too.†The woman began to shake. Boba chuckled. The door opened to the shuttle bay. Boba led the way, a smile playing on his lips. All he had to do was get to hyperspace and there would be no tracking him. ***** “Spock!†Kirk yelled as he grabbed at the bleeding officer, “Spock!†“I’m fine Captain,†Spock said, pushing himself up, “it seems Mister Fett was a little more resourceful than we thought.†“Damn him,†Kirk growled. “I can’t hold them sir!†Thomas called from down the hall, “We’ll be overrun!†Kirk pulled out his communicator and flipped it open, “Kirk to Enterprise, Kirk to Enterprise!†“Enterprise here Captain,†Urhura said. “Has Scotty gotten those transporters up yet?†Kirk asked. “Hold on a minute,†Urhura said. “No, connect me to him,†Kirk said. “Yes sir.†“Scotty?†Kirk said, “Do you have those transporters up yet?†“I was just about to test her,†Scotty said, “Is something wrong?†“Mister Spock is injured. I need an immediate beam up.†“I can’t run him through without testing it sir,†Scotty protested, “He could die.†“He will die if you don’t beam him up now!†Kirk yelled. “Alright sir, I’ll do my best.†Scotty said, “Locking onto his coordinates.†Kirk watched as a yellow haze covered the Vulcan’s body. A moment later, his body vanished. Kirk waited for what seemed like eons before Scotty reported, “I got him sir. I can beam the rest of ya up whenever you’re ready.†“Beam Mister Thomas and Bones back to the Enterprise,†Kirk said, “But first, beam me up to the level the lift near me stops at. Near the entrance.†“What? What for Captain?†“Just do it Scotty.†Kirk barked, “Prepare for a beam out as soon as I give the signal.†“Aye sir.†The world turned into a yellow haze as the transporter beam disassembled his body. A moment later, he rematerialized in what looked to be a large bay of some sort, with dozens of ships being loaded onto by numerous thugs eager to escape. Kirk scanned the area for Shelby and Boba—and found them only a dozen paces away. Shelby was being dragged along by a large muscular green man with twin-tentacle-like-hair. Without hesitating, Kirk raised his phaser rifle and fired, dropping the man dead. He turned to fire on Boba, but the bounty hunter had already spun around and returned fire, hitting his rifle in the barrel and sending it flying out of his hands. Cursing, Kirk rolled for cover behind some nearby barrels, plasma burning through floor, wall, and barrels as he did. He reached for his phaser pistol and came up, returning fire. Boba rolled out of the way, this time bringing up two pistols to fire. Kirk gave more ground, coming up every now and again to keep the bounty hunter from pressing his advantage. “You’re a fast one, aren’t you Captain,†Boba gloated, “I didn’t think you Starfleet pansies could run so fast—oh yeah, I know who you are. Shelby told me everything…After some convincing of course.†Kirk felt his body go hot with rage. His hands shook uncontrollably. “This Federation of yours…it must be a really sad place if bleeding hearts like you are in charge.†“Really?†Kirk said, “Is that what you were saying when you were cowering in this hole while my ship blasted your fortress back to the stone age?†The bounty hunter chuckled, “I don’t know what sort of ship you’ve got up there Captain,†he said, “But it’s not in proper hands. If you had any balls you would have vaporized us as soon as our shields were down. Instead you’ve risked yourself and your crew for this weak, pathetic woman.†“I don’t think so,†Kirk said, slowly edging towards the end of the barrels. If he was lucky, he’d be able to get a clear shot. “No?†Boba said, “Your ship is advanced—I’ll give you that Captain. But it’s no match for the Imperial Star Destroyer on its way.†Kirk felt his heart skip a beat, “Maybe.†He said, then rolled out and pointed his phaser to fire and—froze. Boba had one pistol pointed at Shelby’s panicked head and the other at him, “End of the line Captain.†He said, “Surrender.†“No Captain!†Shelby yelled, “Don’t do it, he’ll—†The bounty hunter kicked her in the back, “That’s enough out of you.†Kirk dropped his phaser. “Slide it over.†Boba said, “Nice and gently.†Kirk nodded and gently and slid it across the floor to Boba’s feet with his foot, “You’ll never get away with this.†He said. “Is that all you people ever say?†Boba asked, then without waiting for an answer, he gestured to his communicator “Now order your crew to surrender.†Kirk pulled his communicator free and tossed it to the floor, halfway between them. “Tell them yourself.†he sneered. “Fine,†he said, then gave Shelby a sharp kick in the back, “Get it.†He barked. Shelby crawled on hands and knees to the communicator and picked it up, “Call the ship,†he said, “Order them to surrender.†Shelby looked from Boba, then to Kirk, who nodded slowly. Swallowing, she opened the communicator, “Sh-Shelby to Enterprise,†she said. “Scotty here Capt—wait, Shelby?†the other end said, “Lass! I thought you were dead when you didn’t beam up with the others! What in blue blazes is going on down there?†“Enough!†Boba growled, “Order them to surrender!†“Surrender?†Scotty said, “Who is that? Where’s the Captain?†“Scotty!†Kirk snapped, then he turned back to Shelby, only to find her body engulfed in yellow shimmering light, “What in the...†he yelled. Kirk reached behind his back and snapped free a photon grenade. Pressing it, he threw it as hard as he could over the bounty hunter and dove for cover. A moment later, a brilliant explosion illuminated the room, throwing barrels every which way and heating the room so much that Kirk’s clothes stuck to him like glue. As the flash died away, the captain rolled to his feet and looked over to see Boba gasping in pain, tearing away large chunks of melting armor that had covered his chest. Then finally, he tossed away his helmet, revealing a tanned face with short black hair. He glowered at Kirk, his burnt gloves curled in fists, “So that’s the way it’s going to be.†He said. Kirk raised his own fists. The two of them slowly closed in, circling each other, seeking an opening. Kirk lunged first, narrowly catching the bounty hunter in the head, but he ducked away, bringing his own fist and connecting with Kirk’s jaw. Kirk took the blow in stride and brought his other fist into the man’s stomach. The man gasped and stumbled backwards. Kirk followed up with a jump kick, planting his foot into the man’s chest. He stumbled backwards again, hacking up a curse as he gasped for air. Kirk rushed forward again, leading with another fist, but the man blocked it, and came forward with an elbow into Kirk’s chest. He gasped, and stumbled backwards. The bounty hunter quickly spun into a round-house, sending the captain rolling onto the ground. Boba rushed forward, aiming a boot at Kirk’s head, but Kirk quickly brought his own arms up to protect himself, partially deflecting the blow. Boba growled in frustration and lifted his foot up again, but Kirk had rolled away by the time he had brought his foot down with a loud bang on the floor. The bounty hunter rushed forward to try and strike the captain before he could reach his feet, but Kirk went into a double roll, foiling Boba’s guessed kick and coming gracefully to his feet. “Not bad,†Boba said as he brought his fists up again, “And here I thought you Starfleet types were all soft.†Kirk’s response was a fist to the face. Boba deflected it and returned in kind, but Kirk had already moved to his right, narrowly avoiding the blow. They circled each other, delivering several blows. Many missed or were deflected, but those that did hit made heavy impacts, blooding the faces of both opponents. When Boba opened himself after a particularly large lunge, Kirk took the opportunity and struck, but to his amazement, the bounty hunter spun away from his blow and came to his left. Before Kirk could recover, he felt the man’s fist connect to the side of his head. Boba rushed forward, grabbing Kirk from behind, his arms eagerly wrapping around his neck to break it. Kirk struggled, desperately trying to throw the bounty hunter off, but his grip was like iron. Boba held tight, dragging Kirk closer and tearing the man’s yellow uniform, his arm wrapped around his neck, his hand moving to the base of his head, “Like to wax your chest, eh capt—†The back of Kirk’s neck met with Boba’s nose, crumpling it. Boba screamed, but held on. He was rewarded with a second contact and then a third, sending him stumbling backwards. Kirk spun around his fist connecting with the side of Boba’s head. “Nothing’s too good for the ladies,†he said, before delivering a kick to the man’s jaw, shattering it and dropping him to the ground, unconscious. Panting, Kirk turned around, looking for a ship to take, but already most of them had left at the sight of violence. The remaining men in the bay were scrambling for whatever sort of transports remained. Reaching down, Kirk began to search Boba. Finally, he found what he wanted in one of his pockets; one of the stolen communicators. Quickly adjusting the settings, he made contact, “Enterprise, this is Kirk, do you read me? Enterprise!†“This is Sulu sir,†he heard the communicator say, “It’s good to hear you’re alive sir. Shelby told us that that bounty hunter had you pinned. We were just about to beam some men in to assist you.†“No need,†Kirk said, giving Boba a rough kick, “He won’t be giving us anymore trouble. Prepare to beam me up.†“Aye sir.â€

First off, as far as a 50 ton explosive missile--that'd be fine if Archer Missiles weren't directly indicated to be high chemical weapons. Unfortunately, they are high chemical and are therefore limited to their capabilities. A 10 ton warhead for each of them is actually probably pretty generous nor is it something for anyone to sneeze at. Any frigate or destroyer firing a full volley of them would probably level a modern day city. MAC or no. As for your point on nukes in space, Atomic Rockets was working off between 1 kiloton to 1 megaton nuclear warheads for this: I would have presumed that a 30 megaton bomb would have done something larger. But I was probably wrong (although, it was mentioned that these were "vacuum enhanced" nukes, whatever the fuck that means). Even so, 1 kilometer does not drastically help. It simply doubles the mines required: Length: 6 30 Megaton nukes Height: 2 30 Megaton nuke Width: 4 30 Megaton nukes. The yield overall is probably going to be more or less the same. Like I said, you want to throw the largest net possible to ensure destruction. And that's not even including the ships next to you that might cause more damage because they go boom. False Dillema fallacy. Those images means one of three things: A) That the Archer Missiles use nuclear fuel to reach targets. That SHIVAs and other nuclear weapons can be fired from the same pods as Archer Missiles. C) Both. B is probably the most likely possibility. While it is true that it could mean that Archer Missiles are nukes, it doesn't exactly directly indicate that they are. This is especially true if we're told in other sources that their Archer Missiles are not nuclear weapons. It's also rather curious how ships could run out of their nuclear weapons so quickly--and indeed only carry two or three at a time. I mean hell, the frigate that escorted Noble 5 and 6 presumably had some Archer's left right? Why didn't they consider those nuclear weapons? You seem to be of this belief that low-yield nukes don't count as nuclear weapons. That's not the case. If those were nuclear weapons, they'd be called nuclear weapons--albiet low yield nukes. However, the novels and the games clearly show a defining difference between typical UNSC anti-ship weaponry and nuclear weapons. It is highly illogical to assume that they are nukes, especially when we're told that material for nukes has become rarer as the war waged on. So no, they aren't nuclear weapons. They can probably fire nukes, but that doesn't make Archers nukes.

Actually, funny story. According to some things dug up over at Starfleet Jedi, the closest thing to phasers/disruptors in Star Wars penetrates right through SW shielding. They literally have no defense against it. Alright, this seems to be a brain bug. Borg adaption isn't just based on frequency. That's mention very often because UFP weapons use frequency. However, It's started to become a brain bug that they can ONLY adapt to frequency. That's not true. Adaption is simply them doing what they can to optimize their defensive and offensive abillities against a particular weapon or defense. It's not all that different from what we do. The difference is that the Borg can implement this a great deal faster than we can. In reality, the Borg are going to adapt to some degree no matter what, it's just remains to be asked how effective that adaption is. Now if it is plasma, the Borg will have an easier time adapting to it--the least of which is probably due to the massive shielding and offensive abilities they have in relation to SW. In short, the Empire would be up shit creek if a Borg cube decided to start assimilating things left and right.

That's still 390 kilotons at best. And less given that laser defenses tend to reduce them by about half. So in actuality we're talking about 195 kilotons. That pushes it up a bit, but we're still hampered by the 7.5 Megaton limit that the mines introduce. And that's high end. The energy intensity of the mines will decrease the farther away you are. And only what, two of those ships survived? And that's assuming 50 tons--which is absurdly generous given that the largest, most powerful conventinal bomb ever detonated was 44 tons--though US officials seem to think it's probably closer to 16 tons rather than 44. Of course, those are bombs. As in, the stuff you drop on people. Where most of the weight is a bomb, rather than a missile. And those bombs are fucking huge by the way. So in all reality, it could easily fall back down to a few 7.8 kilotons for a full missile--but no higher than 10-50 tons of firepower each. EDIT: A note on the Russian FOAB, it seems to be me that it's very possible the Russians lied somewhat. According to officials, it couldn't have been dropped by the bomber suggested in the vid, the bomb's yield claim itself is in question, and it's possible it's not really all that new either. Not hard to believe given it supposedly has the same mass as the US MOAB of 11 tons. And again, bomb. Missiles are not going to have the same oomph that a bomb has.

Indeed. The Haloites do have one thing going for them in that Covenant ships typically stay in a tight formation. But that's still rather presumptious in assuming they fly right into a cluster of bombs (oddly enough, they couldn't detect that--note that Kirk's Enterprise was able to pick up a nuke hidden in debris and was able to respond to it). Looking at Wong's fireball size for a 30 megaton bomb, it says roughly 2.1 kilometers for an airburst fireball. Assuming that remains as is per space, it suggests that the UNSC is going to want that to engulf the small fleet as much as possible. But they'd also want to throw the biggest net they have. Given the size of a Covenant BBC (1.7 kilometers)and the size, this would mean that only one nuke detonated would be able to hit the ship at any time, though it might burn the nose of another ship. But Covenant fleet deployments typically look like schools of fish, with ships below, in front, above, and behind other ships. Now, this was a small fleet, so we're probably not looking at anything more than three ships front and back, with maybe one ship on top or at bottom. We're also probably looking about three across in width. Assuming they were all ass-hugging, it would be: Length: 5.1 kilometers Height: 690 meters Width: 2.586 kilometers But chances are, there's going to be some room between them. Right now, let's assume a uniform of 300 meters in every dimension. Length: 5.7 kilometers Height: 1.290 kilometers Width: 3.186 kilometers Now, in order to get most of those ships, we have to assume that the Captain needed to wait until the middle of the fleet had passed into the minefield. Unfortunately, for that to work, he'd need at least 3 mines to cover that area safely. But since the height is easily within nuke range, they'd only need say, one nuke to safely ensure that they get the entire fleet. The width of course, would require two mines. Length: 3 30 Megaton nukes Height: 1 30 Megaton nuke Width: 2 30 Megaton nukes. So to cover roughly 6 by 2 by 4 kilometers, it would require the use of 6 mines. This would mean that the entire width of the minefield was roughly 8 kilometers (we have to spare here). Unfortunately because they are nukes, they'd get about a 4th of that energy to start with (7.5 megatons) and it would drastically dwindle the farther away you get from the heart of the explosion. And it should be noted that most of these ships were destroyed. Only two, presumably caught on the edge of the explosion, survived the incident. Even if we assume that the ships had something like, 50% shielding, at most we could give them is 15 megatons at best. This is however, highly unlikely. It's worth noting that the Covenant uses its defense lasers against high chemical warheads such as Archer Missiles. That suggests that the weapons are to a degree, dangerous--rather unlikely if they had 15 megaton shielding since it would require an up to of 300 missiles to take down their shields. As far as I'm told, ships tend to carry missile pods that range in the high 20s to 30s, with the largest ships carrying 300 missiles. It would be worth noting that it takes three to one odds to defeat a Covenant ship of similar tactical ability. It's also rather suggested that as of Reach, that MACs are not mission killers for ships, even if they do crippling damage in comparison to all other weapons, so in all likelyhood, yes, their MACs do single digit megatons at best. Mind you, I would probably suggest .5 megatons for your average MAC, no less than .25 megatons.It gives us a reasonable number between the more acceptable high ends and the absurdly low ends. This might be a fight if we say the NX instead of the E-D. >>

Um, they probably can't. The only known counter-measure to a SW cloaking device is to detect their gravity using a very special, very expensive sensor. In TNG, the sensor nets that protected the Federation border from Romulan incursion were in fact, designed to detect gravity. As we learned later, Starfleet decided to replace these (well, not replace actually--probably just added them on) with a new method of detecting the cloaks. This suggests that the former method was very unreliable--proven by the fact that we see ships such as the Defiant passing by other ships scanning for them. Then again, a hundred ship bombs is a shitload different than a handful of ships. This is also a rather fucking stupid thread. Well, they'd probably be detected either at the border or by some nearby ship. The problem of course, would be finding all hundred of them. Still, assuming they had enough time to detect them and then set up a defensive network around Earth to detect them, they could probably shoot them all down no problem.

It's 30 megatons per mine. But remember that these ships are probably only going to recieve a fraction of that energy. With multiple mines, we're talking maybe 5-30 megatons. It really all depends on how far the mines were apart from each other. If we assume a smaller area, then that gives us a higher yield, but it means that the UNSC would have less of a window to hurt the ships--ie, 14 mines covers only so much area and putting them closer reduces the useful ability of a minefield. Putting it out wider increases the hit, but lowers the overall yield. It should also be noted that some ships were damaged. In all likelyhood, we're looking at probably 10-20 megatons. That means MACs probably clock in at single digits and SMACs at double digits, probably closer to a photon torpedo.

Actually, according to the datapads in Reach, the Covenant would require over a thousand ships and thirty years to literally glass a planet the size of Earth. So yeah, it's very unlikely that Reach was literally glassed or any planet for that matter. Given that 30 megaton mines managed to take out Covenant warships and UNSC weapons seem to be limited to double digit megaton range, the Enterprise D should easily tank the ship.