Malevolence

Rugel Shimon launched into an endless explanation. "We haven't made any breakthroughs in heavy turbolasers yet, but we already have something of an energy surplus in starship power systems. So for warships on the scale of the Conqueror-class, there simply aren't suitable weapons to equip them with. That's why both Kuat Drive Yards and Rendili StarDrive have independently chosen warships around a thousand meters long—the energy efficiency-to-weapon power ratio can currently be optimized at that size."

Tang Xiao nodded. "So, in terms of warship size, we're now in a phase of growing from small to large?"

"You could put it that way," Rugel said. "Over the past millennium, warships kept getting bigger. The 2,500-meter Prosecutor-class, the 4,000-meter Judicator-class, and the 8,000-meter Commander-class were the most extreme examples. But as energy technology developed, equivalent naval firepower no longer required such massive vessels, so warships became smaller and smaller. The Invincible-class dreadnought had already returned to the 2,000-meter range, while the current Hunter Class is only 1,187 meters long. Their gunfire is roughly comparable, but their construction costs are worlds apart."

"So with energy technology continuing to advance, all we need is one technological breakthrough to raise the power of naval guns. Once that problem is solved, large warships will start appearing in great numbers?" Tang Xiao asked with interest.

"And that is precisely my field of study..." Rugel proudly gestured around them. "The Conqueror-class battleship solves that problem! Look..."

He took out a personal terminal covered in formulas, clearly preparing to launch into an endless theoretical explanation.

Count Dooku waved a hand. "Enough. As a professional, it is sufficient that you understand these things yourself."

"No, no, it won't waste any time at all. The battleship is stationary anyway. First, we need to adjust the dockyard's gravity generators and synchronize them