Directrix

The massive command ship of the Galactic Patrol's Grand Fleet, the Z9M9Z (it was hardly ever referred to as the 'Directrix' in the books) is a ship totally unlike any other: built around a massive holographic tank capable of showing an entire battle consisting of millions of warships, the Z9M9Z is the key to the Galactic Patrol's later successes: its excellent command and control functions allows Grand Fleet to outmanoeuvre and outfight the Boskonian Grand Fleet(s) several times.
The main holographic tank is roughly 17 million cubic feet, with a (much) smaller version for Port Admiral Haynes to view. The tank is manned by a team of Rigellian Lensmen - their multiple tentacles allow them to run the ship far faster than the dozens of humans that would be needed to do the same job.
One of the ways in which the Z9M9Z was useful was in its ability to control several sub-fleets extremely precisely: it was common to have several Patrol sub-fleets shoot forwards, destroy a single enemy sub-fleet, and retreat to the main Patrol fleet before the Boskonian commanders realised what was going on. And when Haynes can fire off these orders at the speed of thought (far superior than any technological communicator in the books) you can see why the system was so good: how can a Boskonian admiral act when every sub-fleet that attempts anything is blown out of the ether by a dozen Patrol sub-fleets?
Almost uniquely, the Z9M9Z was never copied by the Boskonians: always protected behind a wall of Super-Maulers and her own impressive shields, she was hidden from sight well behind the front lines. Although the Boskonian defence of the planet Ploor was better coordinated (because Eddorians were manning the defences), once Ploor was destroyed the Boskonians reverted to their normal inferior command and control systems - and were duly annihilated.

Record 1211 - ship - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:10:04

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