458. Conflicts intensify
The Sova-class Carrier will be the first regular aircraft carrier of the Fourth Civilization, not an escort aircraft carrier like the Gray Horse class, or a modified aircraft carrier like the Homeland class.
This aircraft carrier is 1,300 meters long and can carry 400 Phantom fighters or more than 1,400 Vulture robot fighters. It is also equipped with an advanced flight control system that can coordinate and direct swarm operations of hundreds of fighter jets.
Moreover, this kind of aircraft carrier is also equipped with powerful firepower to prepare for emergencies. Two heavy-duty turbolaser cannons are installed in the front of the aircraft carrier, and 8 sets of dual-mounted medium-sized turbolaser cannons for general use against ships and fighters are installed on both sides.
At the same time, the Sova-class aircraft carrier has 8 heavy-duty unmanned missile platforms hoisted outside. During combat, these 8 unmanned missile platforms can be released around the aircraft carrier to form a three-dimensional air defense firepower network, targeting all those who want to Take advantage of the squadron's takeoff and landing to attack the enemy planes and deliver fatal blows.
As a professional aircraft carrier, the Sova-class aircraft carrier has 4 huge take-off and landing platforms on the top. Each take-off and landing platform has 5 electromagnetic acceleration rails. It can eject and take off 20 fighters at a time, and the initial acceleration of these fighters is Reach 10G.
If the battle situation is urgent, the side cargo platform can also be opened to allow the fighter jets to take off in suspension with anti-gravity engines and swarm out from the side.
As mentioned before, the Givens and Semiers in the Freemasonry Alliance are not very interested in this kind of aircraft carrier, so after the Givens complete the research and development work, they are basically handed over to the Dawn Planet. put up.
In order to cooperate with aircraft carrier operations, the Fourth Civilization Scientific Research Department has previously developed two auxiliary ships to cooperate - the Xingzi-class maintenance ship and the Blue Sky-class command ship.
The Hoshiko-class maintenance ship (Hoshiko Robotics Cruiser) is a 260-meter-diameter disc-shaped spacecraft filled with maintenance drones. It also carries 20 SCVs equipped with jet engines to provide maintenance support for surrounding warships. .
The Cielo Command Cruiser belongs to the cruiser class, is 400 meters long, has a crew of 700, and is equipped with the most advanced artificial intelligence system for tactics and target analysis (.). As its name suggests, this type of spacecraft is responsible for analyzing Fleet-level tactical command and ensuring that in the complex electromagnetic environment on the battlefield, we can get closer to the front line, reduce interference, and issue orders.
As these new warships gradually entered active service, the navy of the fourth civilization also began a new round of replacement, and a large number of old spacecraft were eliminated.
Including Hammer-class light frigates, Pulse-class light frigates, and Revenge-class light destroyers, these spacecraft have all been withdrawn from active service, either sold or used to form escort fleets.
And in order to cope with the increasing demand for personnel, the Fourth Civilization Navy has continued to expand, and now the total number has reached 400,000. Even so, they still need to equip a large number of B-1 combat robots to meet the demand.
And in this replacement and expansion, ultraviolet laser weapons have also been eliminated, and the warships and fighter planes of the front-line fleet will be fully equipped with X-ray weapons.
X-ray weapons are also a type of energy weapons. They are microwave weapons, and the energy beam they emit is basically invisible to the naked eye. However, because the powerful energy causes space distortion within the range, it will appear intermittent under the light of stars. green.
The power of this weapon has completely surpassed that of ultraviolet laser weapons. Normal use of electromagnetic energy can no longer produce such powerful rays, and a special radio frequency crystal must be used.
Radio frequency crystals can be made from high-purity crystals, so the Fourth Civilization began to import crystals in large quantities and use them as strategic reserve materials.
As one of the largest crystal producing areas in the galaxy, the planet Christofsis has also fallen into the sight of the fourth civilization. Tang Xiao visited this planet several times and signed a series of trade contracts with them.
In June of 29 BBY, Count Dooku visited the Dawn Planet again. After talking with Tang Xiao, he expressed his intention to reach an economic and diplomatic consensus among the planets in the outer ring star region and form a preliminary alliance. He said that there are now more than 500 planets in the outer ring star area willing to join this alliance and fight for freedom.
After several years of continuous activities, Count Dooku's influence has indeed continued to increase. Because Speaker Palpatine is basically focusing on how to improve his own political status, and many of the bills he passed were proposed by Mas-Ameda or other political groups out of consideration for their own interests. of.
In many cases, these bills actually hurt the interests of the planets in the middle and outer rings, and constantly consolidate the interests of the nobles on the inner and core planets. In addition, the Republic continues to promote free trade zone taxation. Although Palpatine has always said that this bill was passed by the former Speaker Finis Valorum and has nothing to do with him, he has not canceled the bill at all. the meaning of.
This approach made the Galactic Republic increasingly polarized and provided a breeding ground for Count Dooku's separatist movement.
However, this time, Tang Xiao still declined Count Dooku's solicitation. He still went his own way, forming a small group for himself, and then gradually expanded it.
However, Tang Xiao agreed to Count Dooku's subsequent proposal to strengthen ties with corporate giants across the galaxy.
He knew that this was Count Dooku paving the way for the future separatist forces, that is, the political and economic system of the Confederation of Independent Systems.
The Confederation of Independent Systems is a group led by five major corporate giants - the Trade Federation, the Enterprise Alliance, the Interstellar Banking Association, the Technology Alliance, and the Commercial Guild. A large number of backward planets in the outer and middle rings provide them with resources and allow them to control their own economies and The lifeblood of industry has become a deformed political system that has become part of the war machine.
But only in this way will those corporate giants agree to help Count Dooku fight a face-to-face war with the Galactic Republic.
For Count Dooku, it doesn't matter what these corporate giants are like. Anyway, sooner or later they will be eaten as food when the new order is established.
But for Tang Xiao, it didn't matter. Because now among these corporate giants, there is another one to add, the fourth group. Why not do something about controlling yourself and handing over your left hand to your right hand.
Shortly after Count Dooku left the Dawn Planet, another earthquake occurred in the galactic political scene! As many as 500 planets officially announced that they refused to recognize the taxation bill of the Galactic Republic and refused to pay taxes. ,
A day later, dozens of planets with better relations, such as the Dawn Planet, the Semels Planet, and the Yag-Dur Planet, also announced their refusal to recognize the tax bill. They claimed that the Galactic Republic could solve the problem of pirates raging everywhere. Before the issue, no more taxes would be paid.
The Galactic Republic also responded. Speaker Sheev Palpatine held a press conference and made a public speech, scolding Count Dooku for his actions to divide the country, and stated that he would impose sanctions on these planets that refused to pay taxes.
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[Easter egg chapter attached picture 1: Sova-class aircraft carrier, from "Sins of a Solar Empire". 】
