บท 103: Chapter 103: The Swift-Class Fighter Jet
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Link was determined to build a raider-class fighter jet, but with his own modifications. The typical raider fighters weren't just battle jets—they catered to the unique lifestyle of their pilots. Raiders weren't a formal military but rather a loose federation of teams, each operating independently most of the time.
However, underestimating their power was a mistake. When all raider teams gathered, their combined strength was formidable, and their collective military force couldn't be ignored.
Given the raiders' independence, their fighter jets were not just vehicles but also their homes, which made them larger than standard jets. Though highly maneuverable, the size of these ships placed limits on their agility. Link planned to base his design on his Swift-class flying board, powered by Stark's new energy sources. But instead of a small-scale design, he aimed to create something larger.
The synthesis of new elements and the development of a larger energy reactor made these designs possible. Energy and propulsion wouldn't be issues; however, the technology needed for space jumps still required further development.
Additionally, Link had to consider air circulation systems, materials for the ship's body, weapon systems, and more. The research of Dr. Wendy Lawson from the Kree, who developed the lightspeed engine, also provided inspiration. Lightspeed travel, paired with space jumps, had clear advantages—while space jumps required specific nodes, a lightspeed engine could bypass those limitations by accelerating directly into high-speed travel.
For now, Link aimed to build a fighter jet that could engage in battle and perform space jumps, with no need for living quarters, as they weren't like the raiders. They had homes and didn't need to wander space. The goal was to create a fighter jet solely for combat. Link's control over such a vehicle would be unmatched, given his reaction speed, which would be far superior to anyone else's.
This would diversify his methods of combat.
He also considered having Stark design a space armor set based on the Iron Man suit. In the event of being shot down, this suit could ensure the pilot's survival for a few hours in the vacuum of space.
If living quarters were ever required, they could simply build a larger spacecraft—perhaps even a battleship carrier. A large spacecraft that could carry numerous fighter jets would give Earth the strength to launch retaliatory attacks against cosmic threats.
However, such a massive project would require more funding than what Link and Stark currently had. But there was one item that could fetch them more than enough money if they sold it: the Orb, which contained the Power Stone. Selling it to the Collector would provide more than enough galactic currency to build a giant battleship.
Link thought about this extensively. He needed to conceal his true strength while ensuring that Thanos didn't succeed. That meant creating a reliable source of military power—not his own, but one he could build and control.
He had also thought about the future of S.H.I.E.L.D. and decided against trying to save it, mainly because he didn't want to risk fracturing the Avengers. Supporting Captain America's stance seemed like the best course of action, especially since the Avengers would need new recruits after S.H.I.E.L.D. fell.
Perhaps Maria Hill could take on the role of fleet commander. And those Quinjets pilots? They could be retrained to fly the new Swift-class fighter jets.
These considerations seemed quite reasonable. He could even get the World Security Council to fund it, while keeping power in the hands of the Avengers. And since the Avengers didn't engage in Earth's politics, they could focus on combating extraterrestrial threats.
Reasonable, right?
Of course, they could also fund it themselves. After all, Link wouldn't sell the Power Stone for cheap. The Collector was one of the wealthiest beings in the universe, and selling it for anything less would be a waste.
Link had no personal interest in the Power Stone; it was of no use to him. Collecting too many Infinity Stones wasn't a good idea anyway. As Odin once said, it's best not to keep the Infinity Stones together.
Learning wasn't hard for Link. After fast reading and cross-referencing with the knowledge he already had, he quickly filled in any gaps. That was the most critical part.
Once the foundation was complete, Link began expanding his design ideas. Utilizing existing technology, he quickly sketched out a prototype for the fighter jet and refined the details bit by bit.
He named it the Swift-class fighter jet. It had two seats—one for the pilot and one for a co-pilot. Behind the cockpit was a small compartment. Its layout was similar to a raider fighter jet but significantly downsized.
The raider ships had a large underbelly, but Link completely removed that from his design.
Overall, the Swift-class fighter was smaller in size, more like an Earth-based jet fighter. However, due to its energy and propulsion system, it was about three times larger than a standard jet fighter.
Thus, it lacked living quarters and was purely for flight and combat. This would make it easier to design and build a large carrier later on.
A carrier outfitted with hundreds of Swift-class jets would greatly increase Earth's combat capabilities. But for now, designing the carrier was a bit beyond Link's reach.
How should he design it?
Especially its appearance. Thanos' and the Kree's carriers were both horizontally oriented. Without energy shields, this design concentrated firepower at the front and featured extremely thick armor.
For now, Link put the carrier project on hold. He needed to gain more knowledge first. But he focused on completing the Swift-class jet because he planned to pilot it into space to explore.
Even though he had star maps, he needed to chart his own course through space. Link wasn't worried about getting lost—he had the Space Stone and could return to Earth at any time, eliminating concerns about supplies.
…
"Hey, Link!" Stark called out to him, looking slightly haggard, as did Bruce Banner beside him.
The two had been studying relentlessly, particularly focusing on communications systems. They had also taken a tour of Asgard's technological applications.
"How's your progress?" Link asked as they sat down for dinner.
Stark replied, "We've gathered tons of data. Bruce and I have some ideas for communication systems, and we should have something working soon."
"But their defense systems here are lacking. They don't have radar or satellites. They're too confident in their own strength."
"If I had access to interstellar tech, I'd find a way to breach it."
Link nodded and asked, "Can you use their tech to build a radar system?"
"Of course," Stark said. "But is it really necessary?"
"You mentioned earlier that interstellar civilizations could find a way in, but for now, no. We'll see about it in the future," Link replied.
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