[Droid803]

The destroyer in Sol would have to jump to Delta Serpentis then follow the Lucifer back (assuming you can only enter the same tunnel if you're going the same way).
Now, emerging from the Delta Serpentis-Sol jump node would put you right in front of the Lucifer. You sure you want to do that?

Staying in Sol wouldn't do too much, seeing as it can't kill the Lucifer when it's not in subspace.

Thing is I don't think you can intercept it going the other way, seeing as you probably need to see it jump out to track its jump and thus wind up in the same tunnel.

[Mobius]

Snail, as Droid indicated we're discussing the Delta Serpentis-Sol jump node here. The two of us think it would have been quite impossible to intercept the Lucifer from the Sol side of the corridor.

[Snail]

Snail, as Droid indicated we're discussing the Delta Serpentis-Sol jump node here. The two of us think it would have been quite impossible to intercept the Lucifer from the Sol side of the corridor.

Makes sense.

[Mobius]

Wow, a discussion ended the good way.

[Snail]

Wow, a discussion ended the good way.

I still think the possibility that there were no other destroyers in Sol is valid. Just that the other argument also makes sense.

[NGTM-1R]

I'm with Snail on this one. I don't see why you'd have a destroyer still in Sol under these circumstances. (You could have sent it to lurk in Delta Serp and wait for the Lucifer to pass by; there was sufficient warning for that.)

[Mobius]

There's plenty of proof to backup both theories, afterall. Everything depends on a) how badly did the GTA want to protect their main system and b) how many combat-ready destroyers they had at the time. A relatively high number of destroyers, for example, would justify the presence of 2-3 of them in Sol, while a serious shortage of them in a not so promising conflict would have called for the nearly total depletion of all forces stationed in Sol to reinforce the frontline.

Then, we have the possibility to jump to Sol directly and all its implications to GTA strategies. Another parameter to add to the equation.

[Droid803]

I personally wouldn't put a destroyer between the Lucifer and where it wants to go seeing as it'd probably get 'vaped like the Phoenicia. If it were lurking Delta Serpentis there's no guarantee the Lucifer won't just jump it and kill it.

Then again, at that stage, the GTA probably would have tried it anyway...(and it probably would have had to deal with the HLD Prophecy too...)

[NGTM-1R]

Lurk DSerp -> have to fight the HLD Prophecy.

And thereby prevent it from bushwhacking the Bastion at the node. It's still accomplishing something of use. The point is, there's nothing for a destroyer to actually accomplish in Sol. If it stays there it will be destroyed by the Lucifer with ridiculous ease. Smaller forces can actually do something, since the Lucifer won't be everywhere at once and they can hold off Shivans attacking the evacuation, but a destroyer is simply going to loldie and not accomplish anything by so doing. It took the Lucifer, what, less than two minutes to destroy the Galatea?

[Mobius]

First of all, unless there are canon sources saying otherwise, the Shivans don't detect ships istantly so if there were destroyers trying to protect fleeing convoys, the Lucifer would have hardly detected them one second after it entered Sol.

With all the vital assets in the system, even if the Lucifer was invulnerable the GTA would have never left everything unguarded. Also:

[...]
There is no more important symbol of Terran Pride than a ship like the Galatea or the Intrepid cruising past a colonized planet, patrolling the system and ensuring safety.
[...]

That actually leads me to believe that, regardless of the odds, there were destroyers in Sol. More importantly, don't forget that subspace tracking tech was extremely primitive, so thay may validate Droid's statement according to which a destroyer operating in Sol would have been unable to intercept the Lucifer into subspace if it entered the Gamma Draconis jump node.

[Marcov]

I don't think the Lucifer would be able to get a shot at the Bastion if they were parallel to each other. Also, I don't think the Bastion would be sent after the Lucy simply because of firepower; those blob turrets would take forever to destroy a ship with nearly a million hitpoints. The Bastion probably has dozens of other small support craft, e.g. rearm and repair ships, kamikaze drones, gunboats, others.

And, having a huge ship on your side, even if its weapons are ineffective against the primary target, will significantly increase the morale of the pilots.

[Mobius]

Well, in the universe the Orion was probably supposed to be more heavily armed than it was in the game. Strategically speaking, the Bastion should have been able to inflict notable damage to the Lucifer.

[Marcov]

Where do we see the implication that the Orion has lots more firepower than in-game?

Aside from the "dozens of turrets" techroom description?

[Mobius]

From nowhere. It's just a guess.

Back when FS1 was developed, all sci-fi games I know of suffered the same problem: capships were tough, but extremely weak. They couldn't defend themselves and relied on pathetic blob turrets. That, of course, didn't mean those capships were supposed to be equally weak in the universes they were based on.

This is a speculation, so don't take it too seriously.

[NGTM-1R]

First of all, unless there are canon sources saying otherwise, the Shivans don't detect ships istantly so if there were destroyers trying to protect fleeing convoys, the Lucifer would have hardly detected them one second after it entered Sol.

No. But we know from the experience of Vasuda Prime that Shivans will make an attempt to attack any convoys trying to escape. At such short ranges, orbital rather than interplanetary, detection is easy. A destroyer would immediately draw the Lucifer down on any ships it's escorting and accomplish nothing positive. In fact, it would actually get anything it's guarding destroyed more rapidly.

With all the vital assets in the system, even if the Lucifer was invulnerable the GTA would have never left everything unguarded. Also:

That actually leads me to believe that, regardless of the odds, there were destroyers in Sol.

I'm not suggesting they're unguarded, though as I noted any destroyers (and possibly any cruisers) will simply ensure a more rapid destruction by drawing the Lucifer onto what they're guarding. Fightercraft are the only safe method of escort at this point, because they're not something the Lucifer is equipped to attack and will be ignored.

You're conveniently omitting the rest of the description, which says that Orions are only committed to active battle zones or areas that will become them: "where an Orion goes, war is sure to follow."

More importantly, don't forget that subspace tracking tech was extremely primitive, so thay may validate Droid's statement according to which a destroyer operating in Sol would have been unable to intercept the Lucifer into subspace if it entered the Gamma Draconis jump node.

The Bastion may have carried the only working prototype, but that's not strictly relevant. The Bastion itself never actually entered the subspace corridor. It's clear that the information can be transmitted to other ships and used by them.

[Mobius]

You don't get it. We absolutely don't have any canon info suggesting that it's possible to intercept in subspace a ship that is travelling in the opposite direction. You know that in subspace ships travel at various light years per minute, right? How can you even hope to intercept a ship if the combined approach speed would be double?

[T-LoW]

I always wondered how even the fighters could catch up with the Lucifer because it jumped at least two or three minutes earlier (despite the fact that you were the only one who ran to the waypoint and than *poof* all your friends are with you - but that was more a lack of mission design).

But there could be the explanation that low masses travel fast in subspace and become slower when the mass is increasing.

[Mobius]

Yeah, it was something like that.

[Buckshee Rounds]

I sort of agree with NGTM at this point I think GTA command will have gotten the idea that a destroyer - or any large warship for that matter - will simply draw the Lucifer's attention and therefore only fighters and strikecraft will have had any real chance of protecting fleeing convoys from Shivan strikes. But those fighters have to be launched from somewhere and if not a destroyer then at least an Arcadia or other installation.

We've seen canon confirmation that the GTA and PVN were willing to throw away destroyers against the Lucifer despite the odds. Namely the battle of Deneb shown in the FS2 intro. I'm definitely willing to bet that in a last act of desperation the PVN threw everything they had against the Lucifer to save Vasuda Prime from destruction and so it must have been for Sol. It's the freaking birth place of humanity! The GTA must've had at least some large warship or installation imho. It doesn't matter that if the Lucifer gets through we're all screwed you will have wanted your best military assets on hand to do something, anything!

I think through sheer desperation there must have been a destroyer in Sol at least on the outside bet of temporarily drawing the Lucifer away from Earth.

EDIT: And since the Shivan fleet had the Terran core worlds surrounded it won't have had many other options on where to go.

[Marcov]

Sending the Bastion would be a good plan, so when it blows up, its debris will kill the Lucifer