QUOTE (StealthSigma @ Oct 11 2012, 03:00 PM)

Or you answer A because you use the weapon as a doomsday threat device.
And you make it an obvious, easily-destroyed target, even if you put Anakin fucking Skywalker at the height of his physical and Force-using abilities at the stick.
I reject entirely the insane notion that it was made out of ridiculous indestructible armor, yet I also make allowances in the "what-if" form in the fact that the fighter itself is a superweapon.
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Let's see. I have a small vessel which would be very difficult to detect that has an armor system that makes it impervious to any weaponry my foes can throw at it. I have a trustworthy pilot in command of it that has utter loyalty to me and should anything untold happen to me he has orders to start blowing up stars in highly populous systems.
Even if you have magic armor that gives DR 1000 against lasers, it's still going to pop if you nail the motherfucker with a proton torpedo. Even if it won't pop to a proton torpedo, you've rapidly escalating to the point where sending Luke Skywalker to disassemble it with the Force is a practical measure. And no armor is going to save you from the insides being crushed by the Force.
Also, the "and if anything should happen to me" bit works just as well with the ubiquitous vessel as with a highly unique and obvious ship.
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Materials science is a pretty fascinating subject, but I'll just point out that the only material that we've discovered that can support a space elevator would be carbon nanotubes. They're extremely lightweight but also far stronger than many other materials. The whole point of materials research is to strengthen materials while reducing weight. This is the essential design principle of the armor for the Sun Crusher. It is of course, experimental and not suitable for mass manufacturing.
Yes, but no matter how advanced materials science gets in the "resisting damage" measure, it's never going to outstrip the "dealing damage" abilities of weapons science.
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And without the superweapon? It makes it relatively useless. You have a pretty little starship that could ram a Star Destroyer's bridge without a scratch. Entirely useless since it can only be in one place at a time. It is only because of the superweapon that it serves a purpose.
It's one ship that can turn the tide of fleet battles just by plouwing right through enemy capital ship's important bits. It can attack and destroy governments with impunity; attack and destroy vital war resource and production operations...
Give me the Sun Crusher, without any Resonance Torpedoes, and I'll win the Rebellion early for you. You won't need to send the entire Fleet to attack the Death Stars, just me and my Sun Crusher. I'm sure that launcher can be adapted to, or replaced with, an ordinary proton torpedo launcher. Hell, I won't even
need the proton torpedoes, I'll just play Blast Corps on its reactor coolant towers.
Hell, I'll take out the frigging Emperor for you. Override the hyperspace safties, come out of hyperspace in orbit of Coruscant facing the right direction, slam down through the atmosphere and start dropping proton torpedoes right on his office or somewhere that I know he's making a public appearance. Or better still, wipe out the Imperial Navy's headquarters when I know they're going to be having a big moffs-and-admirals meeting.
The Sun Crusher, as stated with its bullshittium armor, even without the resonance torpedoes, would be a far better weapon of terror than the Death Star. It needs only a crew of one, can resupply at any backwater landing pad or trading post, or just by resorting to a spot of piracy. It can strike wherever it damn well feels like, without any warning, it's the exact opposite of ponderous in that it can go anywhere easily.
The Death Star is something that an entire Rebel Alliance could rally against, a symbol of oppression that the galaxy could rally against. The Sun Crusher would be a weapon with which you could perpetrate 9/11 style mayhem and carnage - literally, if you decide to save on torpedoes and just plow through buildings and starships - anywhere in the galaxy, for as long as you felt like sustaining the engagement, and then bugger off with into hyperspace, to strike again whenever and wherever you felt like.