WWYD

Theemile wrote:A slaver can run - if the vector difference between them and the Manty is too great for the Manty to intercept before they enter hyper. If the Manty is going the opposite vector at 1/4 c, it doesn't matter if you can reach out and touch the other ship as you pass, the Manties cannot intercept - and they can't legally just blow you away if you don't act aggressive.

Zakharra wrote:

Somtaaw wrote:Unfortunately, unlike Captain Kirk's Kobayashi Maru no-win scenario.... this isn't something played out on a computer program he can reprogram to MAKE a way to win.

For the Manticoran ship intercepting us, as slavers... the ONLY way for them to "win" is to successfully get the slaves off our ship (alive). Anything additional, such as turning some of us to turn State's Witness, or flip to help capture other slavers is a bonus, but not the main objective.

For us, the hypothetical slavers, we have multiple ways to 'win'. Obviously the best way to win is to somehow escape, but in descending order:
1) Sucessfully escape while the Manty sits there, beret in hand, unable to do anything
2) Successfully escape, after having taken fire from said Manty, some KIA/WIA, but ship and cargo more or less intact.
3) Successfully escape, ship and cargo shot to ****, but us slaver captains are alive, and not compromised by being an active Manty collaborator.
4) There's actually another warship nearby, in stealth, that comes to your aid (think Hellbarde coming to protect 'Sittich' against the Jessica Epps, despite the Sittich being a very obvious fake)
5) Space the slaves, and somehow manage to lie your way through the boarding party.... rather unlikely since Manticore subscribes to the Cherwell modification, any ship with the equipment of a slaver IS a slaver, whether slaves are there or not
6) Self-destruct the ship, take to life boats and proceed to lie and deny absolutely everything, bonus points if you took the steps to try and set conditions that your ship was already unstable and you were broadcasting emergency "help us now, we took damage and our reactor is going critical" prior to the scuttle charges/reactor detonation.
7) Realize all the above are mere fancy, and self-destruct WITHOUT evacuating any of your crew, or yourself. Technically not a win here, but because you denied the win to the Manticorans, you 'won' simply because you forced a no-win for everybody.



Without a little more detail about the interception, it's hard to really make any real calls:
-year this is happening, pre-1900 or are we talking post-Oyster Bay?
-relative masses and ship classes involved (is our slaver ship something like the Hali Sowle, or the Marianne? Is the Manty a Star Knight or a Nike?)
-Was there intelligence that led to this intercept (like the Jessica Epps and Sittich in Zoraster, or was this simply good luck for the Manty?)
-Is there another warship around you can scream for help from 'pirates' and try to use the confusion for something?
-probably the most important question is whether this is actually part of a CONVOY of slavers, multiple ships in concert. if I can use my own energy weapons on another ship to lame it, I might escape at their expense.


Personally, I'd be aiming somewhere between options 2 or 3 and option 6... escape if at all possible, or ensure only reliable crewmen make it off that I can 100% rely upon to lie with me about not being slavers, and that the Manty must be mistaken. But if I see a treecat on even one of the broadcasts to surrender, and it's a post-Oyster Bay timeframe.... I'm going option 7 "true believer" style. I can't guarantee I can go down every beam firing, but that's the closest I'd get.

1. The slavers can't run. There is no way they can outrun a Manty warship. If the Manties hail them and ask to board, there is usually a reason to do so (custom inspection of the ship flying through Manty policed space).
2. See #1. There's no way the slaver can successfully run away.
3. See #1.
4. Since this usually happens in Manty controlled space, the presence of a cloaked warship coming to the aid of the suspected merchant vessel puts that merchi on the 'Inspect IMMEDIATELY!' list, and a close copy of all identifying marks, electronic signatures of the ship, and the warship being fired upon if it doesn't stand down immediately.
5. It would be very hard to successfully lie about that if you're listed as the ship's captain.
6. As you admit, very very unlikely, and heavily depends upon the crew not realizing you would sell them out in a heartbeat.
7. is the only option that really denies the Mantys a win.

Somtaaw wrote:
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Now granted, option 3's cutting it rather close, if a Manticoran ship is close enough to shoot the crap out of you and you still make it into hyper, he is close enough to enter hyper TOO, thus able to continue the engagement.

Theemile wrote:

Somtaaw wrote:
<snip>

Now granted, option 3's cutting it rather close, if a Manticoran ship is close enough to shoot the crap out of you and you still make it into hyper, he is close enough to enter hyper TOO, thus able to continue the engagement.

Once again, not if the Manty has an opposing vector with large amounts of relative velocity, and you are already heading for the hyperlimit. Yes, a Manty can order you to stand to - you drop your wedge and play nice while he starts decelerating, but you kick the wedge back on as soon as he's out of weapons range and punch it for the hyperlimit. after you enter hyper, you change vectors or drop out of hyper some light weeks from the system - anything to lose him before his accel advantage allows him to reacquire you in hyper. Perhaps, there is time to jump to the beta band, lose all forward velocity, turn around and re-enter the system on an opposing vector with a fake transponder on - and the Manty will go roaring past you.

Obviously, the above senarios are more likely with ANYONE but a Manty, but there is still a chance if the vectors are right.

I'm not saying this is a likely possibility, especially with modern Manty compensators, but it is not unlikely either, given the right conditions. A few seconds of computer time will tell you if you can pull it off.