Ashin Varanin
Professional Enabler
Intent: A quasi-secretive means of stealing space stations and suchlike things.
Development Thread:
Prototypes and jury-rigged equivalents employed in the following threads:
Model: Ganker Limpet
Affiliation: Clan Rekali, The Underground
Modularity: Available in man-portable versions for small targets.
Production: Limited
Material: Havod, bulk freighter hyperdrive, synchronized network
Description: It's very difficult and risky to move things through hyperspace by tractor beam. Most pirates grapple their salvaged targets or bring them aboard if they have to move them. When dealing with larger things than you can successfully grapple (your mother comes to mind), innovation is required. Such thoughts led to the creation of the Ganker Limpet. Originally invented by [member="Jorus Merrill"], it was brought to Clan Rekali via Alec Rekali, who had a long history with the Underground. The Clan realized the infrastructural utility of the Ganker innovation. It is commonly used to move small asteroids through the Hard Roil, in response to shifting conditions in that deadly region. It is also used for repossessing space stations. This technology is tightly controlled and shared only with the most reliable of partners, for specific instances and rare opportunities.
The Ganker Limpet is fundamentally an armored, shielded bulk freighter hyperdrive, capable of bonding to a patch of hull or other structurally sound surface. A good-sized space station generally takes around six or eight Ganker Limpets, deployed with an even spread. When a signal is given, the linked hyperdrives collectively form a massive hyperspace bubble, and the station or asteroid or whatever-it-is jumps to hyperspace.
So let's talk about limitations, because right now you're a little scared and only mildly aroused.
Primary Source: One example of a vessel driven by several simultaneously linked hyperdrives is the Star Home (four linked drives), though there are others. The Death Star comes to mind (123 linked drives).
Development Thread:
Prototypes and jury-rigged equivalents employed in the following threads:
- In the Presence of Mine Enemies (stealing Saelari Medical Center)
- Legacy (stealing Saelari Medical Center again)
- Danger, Will Robinson, Danger (stealing an ancient terraforming station/artificial moonlet)
- Flotsam and Jetsam (stealing a small station)
- Primal Karking Chaos (stealing an S-thread booster)
- Mayferria: Back in the Stacks (stealing a floating pyramid)
Model: Ganker Limpet
Affiliation: Clan Rekali, The Underground
Modularity: Available in man-portable versions for small targets.
Production: Limited
Material: Havod, bulk freighter hyperdrive, synchronized network
Description: It's very difficult and risky to move things through hyperspace by tractor beam. Most pirates grapple their salvaged targets or bring them aboard if they have to move them. When dealing with larger things than you can successfully grapple (your mother comes to mind), innovation is required. Such thoughts led to the creation of the Ganker Limpet. Originally invented by [member="Jorus Merrill"], it was brought to Clan Rekali via Alec Rekali, who had a long history with the Underground. The Clan realized the infrastructural utility of the Ganker innovation. It is commonly used to move small asteroids through the Hard Roil, in response to shifting conditions in that deadly region. It is also used for repossessing space stations. This technology is tightly controlled and shared only with the most reliable of partners, for specific instances and rare opportunities.
The Ganker Limpet is fundamentally an armored, shielded bulk freighter hyperdrive, capable of bonding to a patch of hull or other structurally sound surface. A good-sized space station generally takes around six or eight Ganker Limpets, deployed with an even spread. When a signal is given, the linked hyperdrives collectively form a massive hyperspace bubble, and the station or asteroid or whatever-it-is jumps to hyperspace.
So let's talk about limitations, because right now you're a little scared and only mildly aroused.
- The Ganker Limpets can't carry much in the way of fuel. Without external resupply, their maximum range is 1,000 light years, comparable to a small insystem fighter. This usually means that, after the first couple of jumps, refuelling is necessary, giving pursuit a chance to catch up. As a result, other measures (obscure routes, pulse-mass mines, and/or ambushes) are often necessary.
- If any of the Ganker Limpets in a network are damaged, the hyperspace bubble may be unstable and will certainly drain a lot more fuel. If too many are damaged (if >50% are nonfunctional or destroyed, or trigger even a couple of seconds too early or late), jumps may end prematurely, go slowly, cause hyperspace accidents, or not jump at all. There are safeties in place: manual control and command codes are required if >35% of a given network is removed. Partial or insufficient associations of limpets cannot generate a hyperdrive effect strong enough to rip chunks off ships.
- The combined powers of the Ganker Limpets rate at a modest Class Four, slower if several of the Limpets are damaged or removed from the network.
- If your ship planted the Ganker Limpets and you're along for the ride, included in the massive hyperspace bubble, for the love of all that's holy stay away from the edge, or your ship will slip outside the bubble and get torn to pieces and strewn over a hundred light-years as you decant bit by bit. Or you'll just drift in hyperspace, undergo serious turbulence, and maybe eventually figure out how to drop out like an ancient tumble-drive. Or you'll spin off at an angle and run into star or bounce too close to a supernova. You never know. Just don't go outside the hyperspace bubble, alright?
- Bulk is a thing. Ganker Limpets mass several tons apiece; your average light freighter can carry only one of them. Thus, delivery requires as much coordination as deployment or activation.
- Time is also a thing. It's no mean feat to maneuver a several-ton chunk of tech out of your ship, nestle it carefully against a foreign surface, and clamp, bolt, or maglock it in place. Especially when most people just don't appreciate having their space stations stolen.
- The use of Ganker Limpets has absolutely no bearing on the people inside the station. They might have weapons capable of affecting the Limpets, they won't be pleased to see boarders, they might try all kinds of things. Take care of the people. Again, time is a thing.
- Though the Ganker Limpets are shielded, the shields are starfighter-grade, not capable of taking more than a handful of laser blasts.
- The Ganker Limpets must be attached carefully, not at speed, to avoid damage to the hyperdrives within. You can't just throw Gankers at things and hope they work.
- Though each Ganker Limpet carries a navicomputer and can guide the whole network if necessary, there is an upper limit to the number of Limpets that can be in a functional network. Depending on regularity of target shape, etc. (dimensions being somewhat more important than mass), a maximum of 20-30 can coordinate as one. This method is not suitable for moving Death Stars, planets, full-size moons, etc.
- Intensive communications jamming may prevent coordination and make manual control necessary, coordinated through other means.
Primary Source: One example of a vessel driven by several simultaneously linked hyperdrives is the Star Home (four linked drives), though there are others. The Death Star comes to mind (123 linked drives).
