Names, outcomes, and discoveries from later histories are concealed in spoiler-light mode.
Scorpions were small combat craft carried by Echo, named for their insect-like shape and pincer-mounted plasma cannons. Originally designed to fight in swarms during the six years' war, they retained weapons during Echo's conversion for colonization.
Also recorded as: Scorpion, The scorpion
Original armament
The craft carried plasma weapons, missiles, deflection lasers, and deployable armor. They could attack targets from orbit that had no defense against them. Lucinda used one to destroy an African base; Eastcott used the other against American death chambers and later the Venus convoy.[1][2]
Loss and refit
Brookes destroyed Lucinda's craft with a sphere beam. Cylli's shipyards later upgraded the surviving scorpion with its own sphere drive, stealth, improved plasma cannons, replenished missiles, and armor that could deflect energy.[3][4]
Return to combat
Eastcott and Lieutenant Frey attacked a Venus mineral processing facility with the upgraded craft. It later withstood almost a minute of combined fire from three hawks before its armor began failing. Echo's rail-gun support forced the hawks to withdraw, and the damaged scorpion returned to the starship.[4]
Operational limits
Eastcott explained that charging plasma banks, reloading missiles, and preparing the craft required hours. The type was designed to swarm an enemy in groups rather than conduct the entire campaign alone.[6]
Iceland and recovery
Frey stabilized the craft after a dangerous micro-jump, destroyed the attacking bombers, and later brought Serilda back to Echo. Eastcott and Silver subsequently used it to escape through a precisely cut opening in Cylli's polymer seal and reach the asteroid base.[7][8][9]
The apparent destruction
Brookes saw a scorpion destroyed during a dogfight and believed Eastcott and Silver dead. The surroundings and events presented to him were part of Cylli's false-data operation; both officers remained alive.[9][10]
Related records
Sources
Simon Evans, The Flaxen Tyranny, first edition (2023). Page numbers refer to the printed pagination of the source edition.
- Chapter 16 · pp. 126–130
- Chapter 17 · pp. 143–144
- Chapter 18 · pp. 154–155
- Chapter 25 · pp. 206–212
- Chapter 28 · pp. 227
- Chapter 31 · pp. 248–249
- Chapter 32 · pp. 254–260
- Chapter 33 · pp. 265
- Chapter 36 · pp. 295–303
- Chapter 37 · pp. 304–306