All Stop 6 Face Shield Generator
Rarity: Very Rare
Durability: 100%
+5 shield faces (individual overlapping shield generators each protecting a specific part of the ship independently)
-30% capacity per shield face
Quick facts: Six faces are better than one. For the fast, maneuverable ship on the go, this six-faced shield generator allows clever piloting to extend the life of a ship’s shields.
If anyone was going to make use of clever piloting, Kaiden knew it’d be Ellenton. She’d be ecstatic at the purchase.
For the next upgrade Zelda had wanted another shield generator, but the Veritas II didn’t have a strong enough core to support it. They needed a new one and there wasn’t a shipyard close enough to get one. Thus, they’d settled on additional armor instead.
Cetacean Hull Armor, Orca Class
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 100%
+10% ballistic resistance
+10% debris resistance
+20% explosive resistance
-10% speed
+15% radar signature
Armor was similar to a shield, but it slowed them a bit and made them easier to spot on radar. All the same, though, the ship had good engines, so the speed debuff wouldn’t be crippling, and it was well worth it when considered against the battle they were heading for.
And what was armor without offense? Their turrets had done a fine job so far, but an upgrade never hurt. Acton had insisted they change their turrets from the two-barrel variety to something a bit punchier.
AP-EX Four-Barrel Slugshot Turret
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 100%
0-second charge time.
-10% damage to shielded targets
-20% fire rate
+60% damage to unshielded targets
+65% damage to critical components
+65% damage to crew
Quick facts: Forgoing the rapid-fire approach of many of its competitors, the AP-EX Four-Barrel Slugshot Turret fires armor-piercing, high-explosive rounds. Designed to penetrate enemy hulls, then explode on a timed fuse, these rounds specialize in damaging critical components and eliminating enemy crew.
Lastly, they’d restocked on the munitions that had served them so well up until now. Particularly the torpedoes.
Mk. 2 ‘Tumbler’ Torpedo
Rarity: Uncommon
Durability: 100%
5-second lock-on required
+80% projective speed
+250% damage to shields and hulls
Quick facts: Once locked on to a target, the Mk. 2 ‘Tumbler’ Torpedo rarely misses. Upon striking a target, the missile is designed to flip end over end and ‘tumble’ through shields and hulls alike, opening massive holes in each.
With upgrades and munitions covered, there’d just been the crew to think about. They were in peak condition as well; for the first time, there’d been enough credits to please Acton and hire actual turret gunners. Crewmen that’d be incredibly useful considering they were about to fly into what Dawson liked to refer to as a ‘target-rich environment.’ Makes it easier to shoot the enemy when you’re completely surrounded by them, right?
Zelda had also loaded up as much as they could on boarding crew. Thanks to their soaring prestige with the Turen Geniocracy, turen marksmen were the best crew to hire for the cost.
Finally, in addition to the barracks now being fully stocked with crew, the pilot, Sias, had tiered up from all the grinding of the past week.
Sias (Turen Pilot) – Journeyman, tier 5
+26% Dodge Chance
+10% Mobility
+5% Speed
The tiering up had improved several stats, but mainly his ability to increase the ship’s dodge chance. A good thing, too, considering there was about to be a whole lot of explosives to dodge, and soon.
The Veritas II was as prepared as it’d even been. Well equipped, well crewed, and in perfect condition. Despite all of that, Kaiden was still worried.
“You okay there?” Thorne asked, looking up from where she’d been leaning against a window. “Sounds like you’re about to hyperventilate.”
“Just... nerves,” he said.
“I get it,” she said with a shrug. “Big day ahead. And an even bigger battle. I mean, everything we’ve done before has been leading up to this. We have a chance to change the world.” She said the words but her expression didn’t match the gravity of them. If anything, she looked… relaxed?
“The secret to this sort of thing,” she said, speaking to everyone now, “is just to relax. Breathe. Get out of your own heads.” She tapped a finger to her temple. “The plan’s in place.” She nodded out to the ships in formation around them. “The army’s assembled. ” She gestured to the group of them. “And we’re as prepared as we’re going to be. I mean, a few more levels would be nice, but otherwise we’re kitted up, finally restocked on stimpacks, and, if I’m being honest, there isn’t a worthier group of troublemakers I’d rather be fighting beside today.” She said the last part with a slight smile. Didn’t make the nerves go away, but at least for a moment, they weren’t at the forefront of his mind.
“Yeah, yeah, enough touchy-feely crap,” Ellenton said from where she was leaning in the hallway leading out to the main compartment of the ship. “We’ve got some Party ass to kick before that begins.”
“The lieutenant’s right,” a voice said and Kaiden couldn’t help but smile even wider as Dawson appeared beside Ellenton. He’d joined them earlier while the army had been assembling, and Kaiden couldn’t deny it felt good to have him on board.
“Not a lieutenant anymore,” Ellenton reminded him. “I’m a free warden. Gone freelance, I guess,” she said with a half frown.
“Good riddance,” Zelda said. “It was just a tool of the Party anyway.”
“The Warden Corps’ not what it once was, there’s no denying that,” Dawson said. “I’ve turned a good number of free wardens to our cause. They’re proof that the Corps isn’t all bad. They produced some fine recruits. Luckily, being on the outside, they can also see how rotten it’s gotten.”
“What’s the final count on them?” Kaiden asked.
“Hard to say for certain,” Dawson said with a grunt. “Some who said they are with us may decide otherwise when the moment comes. And some who said they aren’t, well, they may just find they’re stronger than they think they are. We’ve one hundred and eighteen free wardens with the landing ships right now, though. Might be we can expect more on the
