Tactics: Interdiction Vessels & You
Interdiction Vessels & You
Q: What is an Interdiction Vessel?
A: A vessel equipped with an
Artificial Gravity Well designed to pull your ship out of Hyperspace.
To begin, let's start with a few rules of
Hyperspace.
- You can't enter Hyperspace while in the pull of a planet or star's gravity well. One-way 'Hyper Gates' are the exception.
- Every vessel's Hyperdrive is equipped with a fail-safe device that exits Hyperspace upon contact with a Gravity Well. (This can be turned off at the risk of vaporization.)
- Hyperwaves are signals that can be transmitted and received in Hyperspace. (These signals travel much faster than a Hyperdrive.)
- Hyperwave Transmitters and Transceivers broadcast and receive Hyperwaves. (These machines can be moored in Realspace or in Hyperspace.)
- The Holonet is broadcast by way of the unnumbered legions of Hyperwave Transmitters and Transceivers.
- Sensor Arrays do not work in Hyperspace. (Probably because they are designed to work at Lightspeed and not faster.)
Now, let's move on to why Interdiction is important.
Q: Will I, ever get Interdicted?
A: Yes. You will. In fact, you will get Interdicted whenever you approach the Guarded Border of a civilized Planetary System.
Q: How?
A: Either by an 'Interdiction Gate' that serves as a Security Hub for a popular
Hyperlane or Approach Vector. Or, by an Interdiction Vessel if you are approaching from an illegal Approach Vector.
Q: How do they know I'm coming?
A: By the cross-channeled radiation sonar of 0-Mass Transceivers. See:
Imperial Hyperspace Security.
Q: What is a
0 - Mass Transceiver?
A: It is similar to a Hyperwave Transmittor listed above. As it is moored in Hyperspace and broadcasts cross-channeled radiation as speeds much faster than a Hyperdrive. This radiation detects approaching vessels or objects in hyperspace similar to the way sonar works.
Let's Illustrate:
Below is the image of a vessel approaching by an Illegal Approach Vessel. (Red). This vessel is detected by crossing the radiation horizon of two 0-Mass Transceivers that are moored in Hyperspace. The 0-Mass Transceivers send a Hyperwave message to the System's Border Security, who then dispatch an Interdiction vessel to intercept along the illegal vessels course. (Blue). You see the (Red) vessel should be approaching the system via the Hyperlane. The Legal Approach Vector. (Yellow)
Q: How does stealth work?
A: Current '
cloaking' technology renders your vessel invisible to senor arrays, and sometimes even the naked eye, in Realspace only. No vessel can currently remain undetected by 0-Mass Transceivers.
Q: How large is the Gravity Well created by an Interdiction vessel?
A: That depends upon the size and mass properties of the Interdiction Field Generator. ...But it is generally large enough that when your vessel drops out of Hyperspace, you will be able to see the Interdiction Vessel on your Sensors.
Q: Wait. So I can't drop my entire Faction Fleet out of Hyperspace right on the edge of an Enemy World's gravity well and start nuking it?
A: Not in a civilized and guarded system with Interdiction Vessels. Nope. Sorry. And a good Planetary Shield already mitigates this.
Q: Can I outrun an Interdiction Vessel?
A: Yes. You most certainly can. But you must first escape it's Interdiction Field before you can jump again to Hyperspace. It should also be noted that Interdiction Vessels often bring escort ships to help them disable, run-down, and destroy other enemy vessels.
Q: Wouldn't that make leaving a system much easier than approaching one?
A: Yes it would. As 0-Mass Transceivers are generally moored in Hyperspace outside of the gravitational pull of the system's star.
Q: When was this technology established?
A: This method of security was first-mentioned during the reign of Emperor Palpatine and implemented primarily inside the Labyrinth Corridors of the Deep Core. However, the Empire's method also featured the addition of many strategically-placed Gravity Well Projectors in addition to Interdiction Vessels. These methods were later expressed to having been polished and perfected around the Core World Systems before 137 ABY and the rule of Darth Krayt. See:
Imperial Hyperspace Security, History
