T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship!
Zhao Chen's eyes lit up.
In his previous life, aircraft carriers were undoubtedly the dream of every Chinese person.
In the interstellar era, carriers also existed!
In this era, if there were starships within a class that could be called behemoths, they were most likely two types:
Interstellar Battleships and Carrier Starships!
Zhao Chen immediately chose to exchange.
[Consume 250 System Points and one Task Point-Free Commodity Exchange Opportunity to exchange for the commodity 'T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship'?]
"Confirm."
[Congratulations on obtaining the 'T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship' Technical Blueprint]
[Remaining System Points: 0]
Coincidentally, Zhao Chen's System Points were just enough to exchange for this T2 carrier starship.
At this moment, data about this T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship flooded Zhao Chen's mind.
Normally, if an interstellar fleet had a carrier starship, it would require a large number of escort starships; unlike interstellar battleships, which could stand alone.
Therefore, the number of carrier starships actually in service was far fewer than interstellar battleships. After all, the cost of building an interstellar fleet centered around a carrier starship was enormous.
Otherwise, in principle, a single carrier starship could not form combat capability.
But this T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship was completely different.
It possessed the ability to operate independently, which was precisely why Zhao Chen wanted to exchange for it.
The combat methods of carrier starships were mainly divided into three types: Stellar Fighters, Stellar Drones, and Small and Medium-sized Starships.
The third type was rare. Carrier starships capable of carrying starships were at least T3 Level or above; otherwise, their size simply wouldn't allow it.
Returning to the main topic, let's first discuss the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship.
This starship used 'Stellar Drones' as its combat method.
Zhao Chen checked the detailed introduction.
[Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship
Starship Type: Carrier Starship
Technology Level: T2
Hull Armor Strength: 300 Units - 350 Units
Cruising Speed: 40 Knots Stellar Speed
Warp Drive: Level Four Warp Engine
Captain: 460 Meters
Mass: 400,000 Tons
Crew Complement: 200
Starship Weapons: T2 Larval Bee-class Light Stellar Drone (Stellar Interceptor), T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drone (Stellar Combat Fighter), T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drone (Stellar Bomber)
Standard Hangar Configuration: Can store 300 units of T2 Larval Bee-class Light Stellar Drones, 100 units of T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drones, 20 units of T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drones]
Just looking at its size and mass, one could tell this would be a behemoth.
A length of 460 meters was nearly twice that of the Zero Blizzard.
A mass of 400,000 tons was nearly five times that of the Zero Blizzard.
It could carry three types of stellar drones, totaling 420 units.
Generally, a carrier starship would only carry one type of stellar fighter or stellar drone, as different models would require different maintenance crews and systems.
But this T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship was directly equipped with three types of stellar drones.
This was not a foolish act, but because this T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship was equipped with an intelligent system nearly at the T3 Starship level. Under reasonable and efficient management, it could completely ensure that these three types of Stellar Drones would have no gaps in coverage.
These three types of Stellar Drones, categorized by their functions, were the Stellar Unmanned Interceptor, the Stellar Unmanned Combat Fighter, and the Stellar Unmanned Bomber.
The Stellar Unmanned Interceptor could be considered the close escort of the Carrier Starship, primarily responsible for protecting the Carrier Starship's safety and intercepting all enemy attacks.
The Stellar Unmanned Combat Fighter was the core force for seizing stellar air superiority and could also strike enemy vessels.
As the name suggested, the Stellar Unmanned Bomber possessed bombing capabilities. It could be equipped with Stellar Missiles, Stellar Bombs, or even Stellar Torpedoes as needed.
Its ability to strike Starships was the most powerful.
However, at the same time, its own stellar air combat capability was very weak.
Thus, these three types of Stellar Drones could cooperate with each other, perfectly forming complementary functions.
Under normal conventional circumstances, multiple Carrier Starships would complement each other. The T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship took all three of these tasks upon itself.
And then, the most crucial point, the reason it required no escort fleet—
It actually possessed a Stellar Shield function!
The Stellar Shield function was an energy defense shield, a standard feature of T3 Starships. It could form an energy shield within an area to intercept enemy weapon attacks from that direction.
This was an epoch-making technology for T3 Starships, greatly enhancing a Starship's own defensive capabilities.
This was also why it was often said that T3 Starships were the true Starships!
But back to the topic.
The Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, as a T2 Starship, also possessed a Stellar Shield, which significantly increased its defensive capabilities.
Combined with the T2 Larval Bee-class Light Stellar Drones, it achieved integrated offense and defense!
Facing an interstellar fleet of T3 Starships might carry some risks, but against T2 Starships, it was absolutely a terrifying presence.
It was not impossible for it to take on multiple enemies alone!
Therefore, Zhao Chen chose this T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship.
"The construction cost is... 1.3 million Star Coins!" Zhao Chen calculated the cost required to build this Starship and took a sharp breath.
It was important to know that the total savings of his entire Zhao family did not exceed 100,000 Star Coins.
As for his Stellar Territory, due to reasons like the star system's barrenness and poor management, the annual tax revenue plus other income amounted to only 1 million Star Coins.
This was also why Zhang Haoran referred to him as a down-and-out Baron.
Zhao Chen couldn't even afford a T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer priced at 4 million Star Coins.
However, if Zhao Chen were to sell this T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, it would be worth at least 20 to 30 million Star Coins.
Selling Starships was a path to wealth, as the arms trade was highly profitable in any era.
But currently, Zhao Chen did not have the capability, nor the time, to consider this.
"1.3 million Star Coins... Using the funds from selling the T1 Wolf Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer should be enough to complete the construction of one T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship," Zhao Chen muttered.
Now, he just had to wait for news from Li Wei's side.
——————
North Goose Interstellar Trade Group · Headquarters
A Board of Directors meeting was currently being held here.
Besides the Li family members present, there were several other shareholder directors.
"Over the past five years, our Bei Yan has consistently run a deficit in the Starship Arms Trade sector, relying entirely on other industries to cover the losses. It even led to an overall profit deficit for Bei Yan last year! Therefore, I believe we should abandon the Starship Arms Trade sector. This isn't something that can be easily built up—the R&D investment is too high, and the risks are too great. We'd be better off sticking to our Stellar Trade Transportation and Stellar Industry sectors," one director declared, slamming the table.
Other directors voiced their agreement, demanding an end to the Starship Arms Trade business sector.
"No! Bei Yan's development has now reached a bottleneck. Competition in our original business sectors is growing fiercer. If we don't find a breakthrough soon, Bei Yan will inevitably decline! To take Bei Yan to the next level, we must seize the Starship Arms Trade sector!" A strikingly beautiful woman with an alluring figure stood up and argued.
However, the other directors opposed her one after another.
"Miss Yaqi, this isn't up to you to decide. Although Bei Yan was founded by your Li family, you and your father now hold only 45% of the shares. Everyone else opposes this! This is a Board Resolution!" snorted the director with the largest shareholding aside from the Li family.
Li Yaqi bit her red lips and remained silent.
The Starship Arms Trade sector was her dream and her life's work.
While others saw only five years of investment, Li Yaqi had actually begun preparations ten years ago, dedicating all her time and energy to it. Now in her thirties, she remained unmarried.
How could she give up her life's work!