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"Leech"-Class Breaching Pod
Mass: 26 tons
Firepower: -
Armor: 30
Coverage: -
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 1250 m/s
Special Action: Leech

The Leech is the most sophisticated drone in the Somtaaw fleet, and is designed to get in and heavily damage enemy ships in situations where a conventional attack craft would be destroyed in seconds. Able to evade all conventional sensors, the Leech can come right up to an enemy vessel and clamp on. The drone is unarmed except for a payload of molecular acid, which it uses to bore through enemy hulls so that it can access the plasma-drive conduits. Once bonded to the enemy ship, the Leech uses the ship's own drive plasma to melt through the hull, damaging it slowly. Meanwhile, the Leech's AI infiltrates the enemy ship's systems and relays false messages, silencing damage alarms and repair routines; in general, the crew of an enemy vessel doesn't realize anything is wrong until it is too late. The Leech carries a resource pod as well, so that it can actually absorb the mass of the enemy vessel instead of simply venting it into space. This mass can be returned as raw materials to the Command ship, if required.

In order to stay in contact with the Command ship but avoid having its transmissions picked up by enemy ships, the Leech uses a phased telemetry system that actually shunts part of the signal through hyperspace. It is rumored that Taiidani scientists are already working on a system that would detect these signals, but this would require a massive upgrading to advanced sensors.

Required Tech	-	PHASED TELEMETRY
Upgrade Tech	-	ARMOR LEVEL 2