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“I don’t have the best knowledge when it comes to naval warfare, or galactic markets.” You answer, unsure that you want to take the deciding decision for a project that would bankrupt lesser sectors.
“That’s not why I asked you.” He shakes his head in amusement. “I can get figures and hour-long presentations about why each choice is the correct one, and I’ve sat through enough of them for a lifetime. I want your raw, instinctive choice. I trust a Jedi more than pencil pushers; you guys have a way of just being so lucky with everything you do.”
“Sure, then a Battlecruiser. I like how they are a very offensive tool; you can use them as a heavy raider attacking well-defended convoys, starbases and leaving before a counterattack, or use them as a centrepiece of a fleet. They might not be able to stand and fight like a Dreadnought, but they can maul a flight of Star Destroyers like little else.” A picture of a large ship surrounded by lesser glowing hulks shredded by a tsunami of turbolaser fire fills your mind as you respond.
“Great,” He nods his head at your answer, “I’ll let the men know soon so work can resume. Do you see the massive rod travelling through the centre of the ship? That is a mass driver. That’s our speciality here. After years of focus, we have the industry-leading coilguns. While there are others, of course, that can and do make them, ours are a good percentage more energy efficient, which means we can put a good deal more power into the weapon. A gun of this size will obliterate an unshielded Star Destroyer with a single shot. We build our Star Destroyers similarly with mass drivers in the centre; that being said, they are a good deal weaker than this one.”
“What about ammunition?” You ask as your eyes scan the beam buried in the centre of the skeleton of the future Battlecruiser.
“Yeah, that’s the biggest issue, it’s kinetic, so it only has a limited number of shots. But with the power it can unleash, the gun will do wonders working in any single engagement.” Denon retorts, with a puffed-up chest filled with pride and ego. You do not have to peer into his mind to see his feelings; he radiates his emotions.
The Duke continues to show you around the shipyard, passing ships of various classes and size. All are in different stages of completion. Some you pass are agile fighters smaller than the freighter you are on; others house octuple barbette turbolaser batteries larger than any of the modest-sized ships that are docked at the temple. Awe-inspiring is the only way to describe the menagerie of metal monstrosities, such power produced by a single moon. You also note how the sprawling manmade buildings reach out and try to coat the world in a layer of steel, beginning the formation of an econopolis on the low-gravity moon.
